Rebel Wilson tells court Australian articles hurt her career

In this photo, taken Oct. 19, 2016, Rebel Wilson attends the 5th Annual Australians in Film Awards held at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles. Wilson’s lawyer says his client was devastated by a series of magazine articles the actress says painted her as a liar and subsequently cost her roles in Hollywood. Wilson is suing Australian publisher Bauer Media for defamation over several articles published in 2015 that the Australian-born actress said led to her film contracts being terminated. The trial began in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday, May 22, 2017. (Photo by RICHARD SHOTWELL / Invision/AP, File)

MELBOURNE, Australia — A tearful Rebel Wilson testified on Tuesday that a series of magazine articles published in Australia were a deliberate attack on her character and damaged her acting career.

Wilson is suing Australian publisher Bauer Media for defamation over several articles published in 2015 that the Australian-born actress said led to her film contracts being terminated. The articles said Wilson had lied about her name, age and upbringing in Australia.

Wilson wiped away tears as she testified in the Supreme Court of Victoria, rejecting the publisher’s argument that the stories were light-hearted and had no serious impact on her career.

“These articles were a deliberate malicious take-down of me,” the actress testified.

Wilson, known for her work in comedies such as “Pitch Perfect” and “Bridesmaids,” said she has only had two roles since the articles were published, one for the film “Absolutely Fabulous” and the other a stage role in London.

“It’s not lucrative,” she told the court. “The reason why I’m here today is to stand up for myself and to stand up for my family, who’ve been harassed.”

Wilson is seeking unspecified damages from the publisher.