Rebel Wilson has been accused of “revising history” as the defamation case brought against her by a young Australian actor draws to a close. The legal battle centres on Wilson’s 2024 directorial debut The Deb, a musical about two Australian teenagers attending a debutantes’ ball. Lead actor Charlotte MacInnes, 27, is suing the Bridesmaids star for defamation after Wilson claimed in a social media post that MacInnes made and later withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against Amanda Ghost, a producer on the film, to further her own career. MacInnes denies ever making such a complaint.
Allegations and Denials
The posts in question alleged that MacInnes initially confided in Wilson, stating she felt uncomfortable when Ghost asked to take a shower and bath together, before later recanting her complaint. MacInnes denies making or retracting any complaint. She said she was not uncomfortable when she and Ghost shared a bath in their swimwear in September 2023 after the producer suffered an allergic reaction following a swim at Bondi Beach.
Earlier in the trial, lawyers for MacInnes claimed that Wilson used the incident as “leverage” during contract negotiations by the film’s producers for more money. During her closing address in the Federal Court on Friday (8 May), MacInnes’ barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC accused Wilson of a “complete revision of history”, as reported by the BBC.
“She is a fantastical liar who has made up terrible, terrible allegations about multiple people and her own witnesses have discredited her,” said Chrysanthou. “We say Ms Wilson cannot be believed on anything she has said.”
Witness Testimonies Contradict Wilson
Chrysanthou noted that Wilson testified she told local producer Greer Simpkin about the alleged complaint on the day it was made to her – only for Simpkin to give evidence that she had not heard Wilson’s claim until Ghost relayed it the following week. Chrysanthou told the court that Wilson lied to Ghost about receiving a complaint to sow discord between Ghost and MacInnes.
MacInnes is now seeking aggravated damages for the harm to her reputation. “My client has been unable to eat, unable to sleep, has been distressed … she fears what Rebel Wilson is going to do to her next,” Chrysanthou said. “No young woman dreams of being pulled into the spotlight by a celebrity and maligned.”
Wilson’s Defence
Wilson’s lawyer Dauid Sibtain SC told the court that MacInnes’s career had not been negatively impacted by the social media posts. He argued that the young actor changed her story in exchange for professional benefits, including more acting roles through Ghost and a six-figure record deal. “She’s changed her story, she’s flip-flopped and she’s been given huge benefits,” Wilson said previously, on Thursday (30 April).
Wilson has repeatedly insisted she told the truth in the social media posts, calling the legal battle a “baseless defamation lawsuit”. The actor said: “I am known as a truth-teller.”
Additional Allegations
It is also alleged that Wilson hired crisis PR team The Agency Group (TAG) – the same firm used by Justin Baldoni in his alleged campaign against Blake Lively – to publish websites attacking Ghost. Wilson has consistently and “unequivocally” denied any involvement in “conceiving, planning, registering, directing, creating, writing, or posting the content of the websites”.
The Pitch Perfect star was also accused of bullying women working on The Deb, a claim she labelled as “absolute nonsense”.
Judge Elizabeth Raper is expected to reserve her decision. The Deb, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2024, faced delays in its Australian theatrical release in April due to the legal issues.
