Rebel Wilson ordered to repay millions of dollars from her payout in defamation case after losing appeal

Rebel Wilson has been ordered to repay her multimillion-dollar payout in defamation case. Photo / AP

Hollywood actor Rebel Wilson has been ordered to repay her multimillion-dollar payout to the magazine publisher that defamed her after losing her right to appeal.

The High Court today knocked back special leave for Wilson to fight her defamation case against Bauer Media.

Wilson's barristers, Matthew Collins QC and Renee Enbom, appeared before the High Court in Canberra on Friday seeking special leave to appeal after she was forced to repay almost 90 per cent of her record A$4.7 million payout to the Woman's Day publisher that defamed her.

But the court refused the application, with costs.

The ABC reports that Wilson sat in the front row of the public gallery during the hearing, before calling it a "definitive end to the case" outside the court after the proceedings.

The Pitch Perfect star told reporters she was pleased she saw the case through, despite losing the right to appeal.

"This has been a long fight and a long journey in the courts but the great thing about today is that it brings it to a definitive end," Wilson said.

"The whole reason for bringing this case is that I really wanted to stand up to a bully, which is Bauer media and I'm so proud of myself that I did that and saw it out right to the bitter end."

Bauer Media welcomed the court decision.

"Bauer Media is invested in its Australian business now more than ever," Bauer chief executive Paul Dykzeul said in a statement.

"Our audience trust our content and our writers and they love our iconic brands like Woman's Day and Australian Women's Weekly."

During her defamation trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria last year, Wilson proved journalists from Bauer had painted her a serial liar about her real name, age and childhood in order to make it in Hollywood.

In awarding the damages in 2017, Justice John Dixon said the defamation extent was "unprecedented in this country" because of the articles' global reach.

Despite the judge awarding the Los Angeles-based star a record-breaking Australian damages payout, Bauer successfully appealed the dollar figure. The Court of Appeal determined Wilson couldn't prove economic loss or that she missed out on film contracts as a result of the Bauer articles, with Wilson forced to repay most of her payout.

If Wilson was successful in her bid for leave to appeal, her case would have been heard by the full bench of the High Court.