Geoffrey Rush: Eryn Jean Norvill says actor touched her breast during King Lear performance, court hears

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The actor who initially accused Geoffrey Rush of inappropriate behaviour has claimed in court that the Oscar-winner “deliberately” touched her breast in front of an audience, leaving her feeling “frightened”.

Eryn-Jean Norvill was performing in a production of Shakespeare’s King Lear alongside Rush when the incident allegedly occurred. She claims she felt “trapped” and called the environment on set “pressured” and “stressful”.

Rush has strongly denied the claims. The Hollywood star is suing Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph newspaper for publishing the allegations, claiming they picture him as a pervert.

Testifying for the newspaper in Sydney’s Federal Court, Norvill – who played Cordelia opposite Rush’s Lear in the Sydney Theatre Company’s 2015 production – described an alleged pattern of “sexual innuendo” and unwanted touching during rehearsals.

“I felt shocked,” she said, according to The Guardian. “I guess I was confused. I mean, Geoffrey, I considered Geoffrey a friend. I felt belittled and embarrassed and I guess shamed.”

Norvill claims Rush “deliberately” stroked down from the right side of her breast to her hip in front of an audience during a preview performance of King Lear.

“The touch was different to what I’d experienced previously,” she said. “It was slow and light and pressured across my breast and that’s why I thought it was deliberate. It didn’t feel like an accident.”

The actor also reiterated previous claims that Rush made “groping” and “hour-glass” motions towards her, and would often stick out his tongue and lick his lips in her direction. She said she initially felt ”embarrassed” and “ashamed” of speaking out.

“I was at the bottom of the rung in terms of hierarchy and Geoffrey was definitely at the top,” she said. “That was at play – I have to be honest and say his power was intimidating and this person, I wanted to be a part of his world.”

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She continued: “Everyone else didn’t seem to have a problem about it ... I was looking at a room that was complicit, my director didn’t seem to have a problem with it so I felt quashed in terms of my ability to find allies. I think Geoffrey’s idea of friendship was different to mine.”

Following the Telegraph’s articles, Rush was told to resign as head of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards. He said while being cross-examined that he had “no inkling” of a problem between himself and Norvill.

Rush has strenuously denied the allegations and is seeking aggravated damages against the paper. The trial continues.