Court Hears Rebel Wilson Allegedly Hired PR Firm for 'Take Down' Website
The Federal Court in Sydney has heard explosive allegations that actress Rebel Wilson was described as 'f***ing nuts' by a public relations crisis firm she allegedly hired to create a 'take down' website targeting the co-producer of her new film. The Pitch Perfect star is currently being sued for defamation by Charlotte MacInnes, the lead actor in Wilson's musical comedy film The Deb, which Wilson directed and co-produced with Amanda Ghost.
Defamation Proceedings and Allegations
MacInnes launched legal proceedings over a series of Instagram posts where Wilson claimed the young actor made a sexual harassment complaint against Ghost, then lied about it when securing a role in another of Ghost's productions. MacInnes vehemently denies ever making such a complaint and asserts she suffered significant reputational damage from Wilson's suggestion that she withdrew sexual harassment comments in exchange for a lead role and record deal.
The court heard on Tuesday that Wilson allegedly hired PR firm The Agency Group in July 2024 to create a smear campaign website accusing Ghost of sex trafficking. Wilson denies any involvement with the website's creation or content.
Revealing Texts and Voice Messages
Texts between employees of The Agency Group were read to the court, along with voice messages from social media contractor Jed Wallace who stated they needed to 'create a path where we expose Amanda Ghost'. Hannah Reilly, the original writer of The Deb, said in her affidavit that she saw the website and recalled: 'It referred to Amanda as the Indian Ghislaine Maxwell, accused her of sex trafficking, and suggested she bribed women into silence with roles. It referred to Charlotte [MacInnes] as one of these women.'
Website Creation Details
The court heard Wilson allegedly became a client of the crisis management team in July 2024, approximately ten months after she claims MacInnes made her sexual harassment complaint against Ghost. The Agency Group employee Katie Case gave evidence from New York, initially describing the website as a 'whistleblower' site but later agreeing there was no actual whistleblower - the site was created to appear that way.
Ms Case testified that her boss Melissa Nathan told her in August that Wilson wanted one of 'those sites' created, stating: 'It can be really really harsh ... making her a madam basically lol.' Ms Case replied: 'Oh my god lol ok this one will be fun.' She later texted a friend describing the site as a 'take down website' and said: 'Lol I helped write it.'
Ms Case told the court she was asked to edit a draft version of the site and was briefed to ensure it was 'punchy' and 'incorporated language from Jed's voice note' before sending it back to her boss. She claimed she later discovered the draft was written by Wilson's production company, Camp Sugar, though on cross-examination she agreed anyone could have listed Camp Sugar as the author.
Bondi Beach Incident and Aftermath
The defamation case hinges on events following a sunset swim at Bondi Beach on September 5, 2023, involving MacInnes and Ghost. Ghost experienced a flare-up of cold urticaria, a medical condition causing hives after cold exposure. MacInnes took her to their rented Bondi penthouse and ran a hot bath, with both women entering in their swimsuits.
Wilson claims MacInnes made a harassment complaint as a result of that bath - which MacInnes categorically denies. Live entertainment producer Carmen Pavlovic testified that MacInnes was kicked out of the penthouse after Wilson told Ghost about the alleged complaint and was later frozen out of the recording studio during The Deb production.
Bullying Concerns and Resolution Attempts
Ms Pavlovic described seeing MacInnes crying at the studio and noted Ghost was so angry she couldn't make eye contact with the actor. During a dinner at Icebergs restaurant on September 14, Pavlovic said Ghost seemed angry about the alleged harassment complaint, stating: 'I got the impression she was angry because she was really blindsided by [MacInnes'] comment and she didn't understand the comment, and she was upset because it's a serious comment.'
Pavlovic expressed concern that MacInnes could launch a bullying complaint against Ghost and Wilson if the matter wasn't properly addressed. She suggested someone independent from The Deb speak with MacInnes about the alleged complaint. The following day, Ghost informed Pavlovic that MacInnes would be independently interviewed about the bath situation with a support person present.
After the interview, Pavlovic testified: 'She told me the situation had been outlined to Charlotte, Charlotte had the chance to respond, she didn't have any concerns over what transpired that evening in Bondi. There was a misunderstanding, she was OK, and that Amanda after the meeting told me it had been put in writing and after the meeting had a chance to clear the air with Charlotte and make sure everything was clear between them.'
The Federal Court case continues with further proceedings expected.
