Rebel Wilson has labelled claims that she bullied women on a film set as “absolute nonsense” while giving evidence for the first time in a defamation case against her in Sydney. The legal battle centres on Wilson’s directorial debut, The Deb, a musical about two Australian teenagers attending a debutantes’ ball.
Background of the Case
The lead actor of The Deb, Charlotte MacInnes, is suing the Bridesmaids star for defamation after Wilson posted on social media that MacInnes had made and later withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against Amanda Ghost, a producer on the film, to further her career. As she took the stand on Tuesday, the 46-year-old star was asked by prosecutors if she sees herself as a “champion of women”, to which she responded “yes”. “If you look over my 24-year career, you can see many evidences of me supporting women,” she said, according to The Guardian.
Courtroom Exchanges
When Sue Chrysanthou SC, representing MacInnes, accused Wilson of mistreating MacInnes, Ghost and a female writer, Wilson responded: “That’s absolute nonsense.” She added: “Inappropriate behaviour from a person in power to an employee is a serious problem.” Chrysanthou had previously told the court that Wilson was a “bully” for attacking MacInnes in social media posts. “Ms Wilson was not a whistleblower who was seeking to protect a young actress,” she said last week.
Allegations of Crisis PR Campaign
It is also alleged that Wilson hired crisis PR team The Agency Group (TAG) – the same one used by Justin Baldoni in his alleged campaign against Blake Lively – to publish websites that attacked Ghost. MacInnes’s case includes messages that emerged as part of Baldoni’s legal dispute with his It Ends With Us co-star, as well as a text from someone at the agency who describes Wilson as “f***ing nuts”. Wilson has consistently and “unequivocally” denied any involvement in “conceiving, planning, registering, directing, creating, writing, or posting the content of the websites”.
MacInnes’s Claims and Relief Sought
MacInnes, who has also been in court for the hearings, is seeking aggravated damages and a court order preventing Wilson from repeating the allegations online or elsewhere. The Deb, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2024, faced delays in its Australian theatrical release earlier this month due to the legal issues. Wilson said outside court last week: “I love The Deb, I mean, it’s so cute and amazing. Thank you to everyone who’s going to the cinemas.” The hearing is expected to last nine days.
