CONTROVERSIA
Portrait of Geoffrey Rush

Photo: Maximilian Bühn · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Born in Australia · Nationality Australian — Culture / media / celebrities

Geoffrey Rush

Film, television and entertainment

Documented profile covering 2 controversies, including “King Lear / Daily Telegraph: inappropriate behaviour allegations, AACTA resignation and major defamation victory” and “Yael Stone allegations relating to Diary of a Madman period, firmly denied by Rush”.

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Profile No. 0855 · Updated on 12 October 2026

Portrait of Geoffrey Rush

Photo: Maximilian Bühn · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
2Documented controversies
5Sources
0Formal charge · all time
0Conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

01

2017-2020

King Lear / Daily Telegraph: inappropriate behaviour allegations, AACTA resignation and major defamation victory

Civil / administrative proceedings

Following an internal complaint connected to a production of King Lear, the Daily Telegraph published allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour concerning Geoffrey Rush. He stepped down as AACTA president and sued the newspaper. In 2019, the Federal Court ruled that the defendants had failed to prove the imputations and awarded him nearly 2,9 million Australian dollars; the newspaper's appeal was dismissed in 2020.

Sources · 3

  1. [1]
    ABC Newsabc.net.auMediaHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    ABC Newsabc.net.auMediaHigh reliability
  3. [3]
    ABC Newsabc.net.auMediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 3 September 2026

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02

2010-2011; révélées 2018

Yael Stone allegations relating to Diary of a Madman period, firmly denied by Rush

No legal proceedings

Actress Yael Stone alleged in 2018 that Rush had exposed himself to her backstage, sent her sexually suggestive messages and attempted to watch her shower during their work together in 2010-2011.

Attribution
Directly implicated

Sources · 2

  1. [1]
    ABC Newsabc.net.auMediaHigh reliability
  2. [2]
    ABC Newsabc.net.auMediaHigh reliability

Last verified: 3 September 2026

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II. Constellation of documented links

  • Linked profile (portrait or initials) — click to open it
  • Line width: number of documented references
  • Hover over or tap a line: controversies and sources

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

List of documented links (1)
  1. Barry Humphries1 documented reference

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