Geoffrey Rush denies misconduct allegations by co-star Yael Stone

[The AchieVer]

 

 

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Image captionGeoffrey Rush says the allegations are incorrect

Australian actor Geoffrey Rush has denied new allegations that he acted inappropriately towards an actress.

Orange is the New Black actress Yael Stone said the incidents took place when she and the Oscar-winning actor starred in a Sydney play in 2010-11. 

She alleges that Mr Rush danced naked in her presence, watched her shower, and sent her sexual text messages.

Earlier this year, actress Eryn Jean Norvill accused Mr Rush of touching her inappropriately - a claim he denies.

On Monday, Mr Rush responded to Ms Stone's allegations, saying they were "incorrect" and in some instances "taken completely out of context".

"Clearly Yael has been upset on occasion by the spirited enthusiasm I generally bring to my work," the actor said in a statement released by his lawyer.

"I sincerely and deeply regret if I have caused her any distress."

'Incredibly uncomfortable'

In interviews with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and The New York Times, Ms Stone alleged that a string of incidents took place during a production of The Diary of a Madman. 

The Australian actress, then 25, received text messages from her co-star, then 59, that became "increasingly sexual" in nature, according to her accounts.

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Image captionYael Stone is best known for appearing on Netflix series Orange is the New Black

She also alleged that the Oscar winner had once held a mirror above her when she was showering in an attempt to see her naked.

"I believe it was made in the spirit of a joke. The fact is it made me incredibly uncomfortable," she told the ABC.

Ms Stone said she did not complain at the time because she feared it would harm her career.

"There was no part of my brain considering speaking to anyone in any official capacity. This was a huge star," she told the US outlet.

Mr Rush is currently fighting a defamation case in Australia against a newspaper which published reports of the case involving Ms Norvill. The court is yet to reach a verdict.

 

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