Star West Indies batsman Chris Gayle has been awarded a US$221,000 payout in his defamation case against Australia-based Fairfax Media.
The 39-year-old had been accused of exposing his genitals to masseuse Leanne Rusell in a series of articles published by Fairfax Media-owned Sydney Morning Herald, The Canberra Times and The Age in 2016.
The alleged incident is said to have taken place in the players’ dressing room during the 2015 ICC World Cup in Sydney.
Gayle had outright denied the allegations when they were published and accused the journalists of attempting to destroy his image.
The Windies stalwart had sued the media group for defamation following the allegations. In October last year, a New South Wales Supreme Court jury had ruled in favour of Gayle and found Fairfax Media to be motivated by malice.
“In light of the jury’s verdict I am required to assess damages on the basis that the allegation of indecent exposure was not true and that the attribution of such conduct was very damaging to Mr Gayle’s reputation,” NSW Supreme Court Justice Lucy McCallum was quoted as saying by the Herald.
