Geoffrey Rush says he might have told a co-star she looked "yummy" when they worked together in a Sydney theatre production but he's denied doing it while licking his lips, making groping gestures or putting his tongue out.
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The Oscar-winning actor was in the witness box for two days at his NSW Federal Court defamation trial against a Sydney newspaper and journalist over articles and a poster about an allegation he behaved inappropriately toward the co-star.
His wife, Jane Menelaus, on Wednesday said Rush held her and wept after the story broke in November 2017 and that he didn't wish to act again.
Under cross-examination, Rush said it was possible he told fellow actor Eryn Jean Norvill she looked "yummy" during rehearsals for a Sydney Theatre Company production of King Lear.
"Yummy has a spirit to it because we are about to go into - most of our scenes together are going to be very dramatic and harrowing, this is a good start," Rush said in response to questions by defence barrister Tom Blackburn SC.
He said he might have told her she looked very scrumptious but he had no recollection of it.
Rush is suing the Daily Telegraph and journalist Jonathon Moran over articles about an allegation he behaved inappropriately toward his co-star - later revealed to be Norvill - during the 2015-16 production.
The 67-year-old denies the allegation and argues the paper made him out to be a pervert and a sexual predator.
The paper's publisher, Nationwide News, and Moran are pleading a defence of truth and Norvill - who didn't speak with Moran for the articles - has agreed to give evidence.
Rush on Wednesday denied a suggestion by Mr Blackburn that he would use the words "yummy" and "scrumptious" while making gestures such as licking his lips, sticking out his tongue and making groping gestures before Norvill's torso. He denied making those gestures at all.
He also denied touching Norvill's lower back under her shirt backstage and deliberately touching or moving his fingers along the side of her breast during a scene where he carried her.
Norvill played Cordelia, the daughter of Rush's titular character, and in that scene he was carrying her body after her death.
Rush said he wanted in that moment to "feel the silhouette or the halo of her torso ... that she is no longer alive" but as he caressed down "it wasn't at breast level, it was down torso level".
"Did a thumb accidentally touch the lower part of her chest? Possibly. I wasn't monitoring this with detachment," Rush said.
His wife, also an actor, later cried in the witness box as she testified about the impact of the Telegraph's articles.
Menelaus said Rush became uncharacteristically quiet after the story broke, was "quite fetal at times on the bed", couldn't sleep and groaned every morning.
"For 11 months we've been going round and round in circles, trying to understand why someone would hate us so much," she said.
Menelaus said Rush was constantly looking on the internet at what people said about him and worried his adult children were believing the articles and didn't love him as much.
The judge-alone trial before Justice Michael Wigney continues.
Australian Associated Press
