Not a day without accusations of sexual harassment. A year has passed since Jeffrey Rush’s previous statements about indecent behavior in the Australian theater, which have not received evidence. However, the presumption of innocence did not become an obstacle to new accusations against the Oscar-winning actor, this time from the
Australian actress Yael Stone told The New York Times that, at the age of 25, she played with a 59-year-old actor in the play The Notes of a Madman. According to her, Rush danced in front of her naked in the dressing room, spied on her in the shower and sent messages of obscene content. Stone admitted that she hadn’t dared to talk about it for a long time, because it was about the authoritative actor in Australia and her mentor. Now, there is more concern for her: in her country, unlike in the United States, the presumption of innocence is in effect and it is the plaintiff who must prove that the defendant is guilty. If he does not succeed, the risk of getting a huge fine or term for libel is high.
Geoffrey Rush, in his official statement, stressed that Stone’s allegations are “wrong and in some moments taken out of context.” “I didn’t want to offend Yael and deeply regret that she misunderstood the enthusiasm that I bring to work. We corresponded for many years and always adhered to a respectful tone towards each other. As I stated earlier, I hate behavior that can be regarded as intimidation or harassment at the workplace and in any other place, ”the actor stated his position.