Hollywood star Rebel Wilson has branded as 'outrageous' the accusation that she orchestrated a cyber attack on her co-star's social media account, leading to the leak of a nude photograph. The Pitch Perfect actor is being sued for defamation by Charlotte MacInnes, the 27-year-old lead of the musical comedy The Deb, which marks Wilson's directorial debut.
Defamation Case Background
MacInnes claims she was defamed by Wilson in social media posts that suggested she is a liar who withdrew a sexual harassment complaint to advance her acting and music career. Wilson alleges that MacInnes confided she felt uncomfortable when the film's co-producer, Amanda Ghost, requested to shower and bathe together in September 2023, but later changed her story. MacInnes denies making or retracting any complaint, insisting she never expressed discomfort.
Allegations of Bullying and Hacking
MacInnes asserts she has been bullied and intimidated by Wilson and holds her responsible for orchestrating a hack on her Snapchat account, which resulted in the leak of a nude photo. In an affidavit filed to the court, MacInnes revealed her Snapchat was breached and an attempted breach of her Facebook account occurred just days after she filed legal proceedings against Wilson in September 2025. 'I believe that this was orchestrated by Rebel,' she wrote. 'It was completely terrifying and caused me a new kind of anxiety.'
During her third day on the witness stand at the Federal Court in Sydney on Thursday, Wilson was asked if she had arranged the cyber attack. 'That is an absolutely outrageous statement to make in court that I moonlight as a hacker,' she replied. When pressed on whether she directed someone else to carry out the hack, the Bridesmaids star retorted, 'obviously not.' She similarly dismissed an accusation of stalking the young actor to ascertain her whereabouts as 'outrageous.'
Wilson's Defense
MacInnes' barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, suggested Wilson raised the alleged complaint with others after learning MacInnes had said it was 'all good,' for her own purposes. Wilson responded, 'I received no benefit from this experience that led to a court case. All I have done is told the truth at significant cost to myself, at significant detriment.' She claimed she had been bullied and harassed for continuing to tell the truth to people, some of whom are extremely rich and powerful. When it was suggested she herself is rich and powerful compared to MacInnes, Wilson countered that the young actor appeared to be living a luxurious international lifestyle.
Chrysanthou previously argued that Wilson falsely portrayed herself as a whistleblower seeking to protect MacInnes, when she instead used the alleged complaint as leverage in a commercial dispute with her co-producers. Wilson has rejected this claim and any accusations of bullying MacInnes, stating she regards herself as a champion of women.
Legal Arguments and Evidence
Wilson's barrister, Dauid Sibtain SC, contends that MacInnes made the complaint and then altered her story to ensure her career thrived with Ghost's assistance. He argues that MacInnes' career has progressed and she has suffered no harm to her reputation as a result of the social media posts, contrary to her allegations.
Asked about the impending birth of her second child as she entered the courthouse on Thursday, Wilson said her wife luckily has not given birth yet in the US. Wilson has previously denied in court any involvement in ordering or authoring websites that described the producer as the 'Indian Ghislaine Maxwell' and a sex trafficker.
Wilson stated that her former US lawyer hired The Agency Group to assist her in a legal dispute with her co-producers, but insisted the firm was not commissioned to work for her. The firm is also accused of creating smear websites attacking Hollywood actor Blake Lively on behalf of her co-star Justin Baldoni. Wilson was asked earlier in the week to produce communications between her and employees of The Agency Group, including a text chain with chief executive Melissa Nathan. Chrysanthou also called for any receipts for payments to the PR firm to discern who paid for Nathan's services.
An unsigned letter of agreement tendered to the court shows Wilson's US lawyer retained The Agency Group for strategic communication services in connection with the star, with a monthly payment of $25,000 USD. When asked about the agreement dated July 2024, Wilson said it had been sent to her lawyer despite being addressed to her. She rejected suggestions from Chrysanthou that she was being utterly dishonest and had lied for a year about the topic. Wilson also denied accusations that she raised MacInnes' alleged complaint after it had been resolved in order to get her way during a dispute with her co-producers.
The trial continues. In Australia, support is available at Full Stop Australia (1800 385 578). In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html.
