Rebel Wilson wrote what has been described as a 'deranged' email to a literary agent, demanding a writing credit for her new film and launching a personal attack on the original writer. The email was presented to the Federal Court on Monday during the first day of Wilson's defamation proceedings against Charlotte MacInnes, who starred in the musical comedy The Deb, which Wilson directed.
Defamation Proceedings and Allegations
MacInnes initiated civil proceedings in September after Wilson made a series of Instagram posts accusing her of complaining about unwanted sexual advances by the film's senior producer, Amanda Ghost. The alleged incident followed a sunset swim at Bondi Beach. Wilson has also claimed that MacInnes lied about making the complaint because she was offered a record deal. MacInnes denies that any sexual harassment occurred, denies making a complaint to Wilson, and denies lying about it in exchange for a contract.
Courtroom Drama and Accusations
During opening statements, MacInnes' lawyer, Sue Chrysanthou SC, portrayed Wilson as a 'bully' who became 'enraged' when she did not get her way. Chrysanthou cited an email from Wilson as evidence, sent on December 22, 2023, from Wilson's Camp Sugar company address to Jean Mostyn, CEO of Yellow Creative Management and literary agent for playwright Hannah Reilly. The email expressed Wilson's anger over being denied a writing credit for The Deb, for which she already held credits as actor, director, and producer.
In the email, Wilson slammed Reilly as 'ungrateful' for the 'generosity' she had shown, arguing that the film would never have been funded if Reilly were the sole writer. Wilson wrote, 'We were being generous to Hannah by sharing the significant improvements made to the project since she had worked on it, including multiple new songs, which is not something commonly done. This generosity led to her b***hing about myself and the financiers to cast members which was highly disappointing and completely disrespectful.'
Wilson further claimed that Reilly was 'difficult to work with' and 'extremely ungrateful for the opportunity that has been given to her.' She added, 'She has a history of not valuing others' creative inputs which is against everything I stand for. It is also, quite frankly, deluded.' The email concluded with Wilson signing off, 'Merry Christmas!'
Legal Descriptions and Reactions
In court, Chrysanthou described the email as 'abusive,' 'threatening,' and a demonstration of 'how professionally she behaves.' She called it a 'deranged letter making wild allegations' and noted that the writing credit issue was actually a matter of copyright. Chrysanthou stated, 'Ms Wilson wants to be credited as the writer of this script, she is desperate for this credit. She becomes enraged when Hannah Reilly does not agree to it, and to that point, she sends a shocking email to Hannah's agent on December 22.'
Hannah Reilly was cross-examined in court on Monday, where she testified that Wilson did contribute to the script but requested a larger credit than she deserved. This testimony highlighted the ongoing dispute over creative contributions and credits in the film industry.
Background of the Beach Incident
The defamation case stems from an incident on September 5, 2023, when MacInnes and Ghost went for a swim at Bondi Beach. Chrysanthou explained that Ghost experienced a flare-up of cold urticaria, a rare condition causing hives or swelling after exposure to cold. MacInnes took Ghost back to their rented Bondi penthouse, where they shared a hot bath in their swimwear. Chrysanthou emphasized that their skin did not touch, they both wore swimming costumes, and they later sat with another woman, drinking chamomile tea and hot chocolate.
Wilson alleges that MacInnes made a sexual harassment complaint about the bathtub situation and then lied about it. MacInnes denies any harassment or complaint occurred. Wilson's lawyer, Dauid Sibtain SC, acknowledged that there was no dispute about the bath itself, but argued that MacInnes might have felt uncomfortable bathing with her boss, even if it was for medical reasons. He stated, 'A boss bathing with their employee is not the best practice, even if Ms Ghost was recovering from a medical episode, but it's a position a young employee might not feel comfortable in.'
Sibtain further alleged that MacInnes told Wilson that Ghost asked her to take a bath and a shower with her, but later retracted the complaint because she believed Ghost could help advance her career. The court case continues as both sides present their arguments and evidence in this high-profile legal battle.
