Rebel Wilson defamation lawsuit heading to trial

Actress Rebel Wilson is heading to trial over a defamation lawsuit she filed against bosses at Bauer Media last year (16).

The Pitch Perfect star launched legal action against Bauer Media chiefs after a number of their publications in her native Australia featured reports suggesting she had falsified details about her background.

The 37-year-old filed her lawsuit against the magazine publishers and their titles Woman's Day, The Australian Women's Weekly, New Weekly and OK!.

Rebel claimed the articles suggested she was a serial liar, and left her feeling "humiliated and embarrassed" and "gravely injured in her feelings, credit and reputation".

On Friday (28Apr17), attorney Renee Enbom told the Melbourne Supreme Court he will present evidence indicating the actress wasn't able to book movie roles, including one in Kung Fu Panda 3, and other contracts were terminated over the stories.

"Her contracts were terminated," the attorney said. "She was told she was too divisive... it's destroyed (her) reputation as a fair and honest person."

The trial will begin on 22 May (17) and several of Wilson's private financial affairs, including tax returns, will be presented as evidence to support her claims.

The actress is suing for special damages.

Rebel's issues centre around an article first published in Woman's Day in May, 2015, which suggested she lied about her age, real name, upbringing, and the fact she had lived in the African country of Zimbabwe for a year.

The star argued she was not contacted about any of the articles that were published, and feels they were timed to coincide with the release of Pitch Perfect 2 to achieve maximum attention in Australia and around the world.