Court hears that actor offered to settle for $50,000 and an apology but never heard back from News Corp

Geoffrey Rush will receive $2.9m in damages from the Daily Telegraph after a series of articles accusing the Oscar-winning actor of “inappropriate behaviour” towards a female actor.

On Thursday the federal court heard lawyers for Rush and the Telegraph had agreed the actor would receive $2m for past and future lost earnings after tax, on top of an $850,000 payment ordered by Justice Michael Wigney in his judgment in April.