Rebel Wilson’s current predicament has an almost cinematic quality. Sitting in an Australian Federal Court, the woman who made millions of people laugh in Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect is being questioned about Instagram posts, a smear website, and a bathtub story that has somehow become the focal point of a very real, very serious legal proceeding. This didn’t have to be the case. However, here we are.
Wilson is being sued for defamation by Charlotte MacInnes, a young actress who appears in Wilson’s first feature film, The Deb. Her main argument is that Wilson suggested MacInnes had withdrawn a sexual harassment complaint in exchange for job opportunities on social media, including the movie’s official Instagram account. MacInnes claims that Wilson’s posts have harmed her reputation in ways that are difficult to reverse and that none of it is true.
To her credit, Wilson has refused to back down. She insisted that what she posted was accurate throughout the two and a half days of cross-examination. When questioned about a post criticizing MacInnes for donning what Wilson called a “culturally inappropriate Indian outfit” while singing on a yacht, she responded, “I don’t classify it as an attack, I classify it as telling the truth,” in court. It wasn’t an Indian outfit at all, MacInnes’s attorney bluntly told the court.
All of this appears to have begun with an incident that occurred in September 2023. One of the movie’s financial producers, Amanda Ghost, accompanied MacInnes to Bondi Beach. The two women returned to Ghost’s apartment after Ghost experienced a severe allergic reaction to the cold water. MacInnes then gave Ghost a bath to help her feel better. As Ghost’s assistant brought them hot drinks, the two swimsuit-clad women ended up in the bath together. Wilson’s own testimony submitted to the court states that MacInnes informed her the following day that the circumstance had caused her discomfort.
In those subsequent conversations, it’s still unclear exactly what was said and by whom. The court is aware that Wilson texted Ghost later, stating that MacInnes felt “all good” about the incident. However, it appears that Wilson then publicly suggested the opposite for several months. Wilson was allegedly using the bath incident as leverage in a fee dispute with the film’s producers, according to MacInnes’s legal team. Wilson has refuted that description.
The issue of a “smear website” purportedly made to target Amanda Ghost complicates the case. Wilson has denied penning it. However, text messages from a PR firm employee that suggested Wilson had asked for them were presented to the court. Wilson has persisted in his denial. Regardless of how the case turns out in the end, these are the kinds of details that people tend to remember.
MacInnes’s attorney, Sue Chrysanthou SC, did not hold back in her closing arguments. She referred to Wilson’s account of what happened as a “complete revision of history” and called the person accusing her client a “fantastical liar.” She also made the point that it is illogical to use a bath taken during a medical emergency as proof of improper sexual behavior. MacInnes is requesting aggravated damages, claiming that Wilson’s posts were intentional rather than merely negligent.
It’s difficult to ignore the deeper sadness that lies beneath all of this. Wilson directed and obviously put a lot of effort into the movie The Deb, but it was delayed and mired in disagreements that are now fully visible to the public. Before she has even had a chance to properly establish her reputation, a young actress who graduated from one of Australia’s most prestigious performing arts schools is fighting to protect it. It’s hard to imagine either woman coming out of this completely unscathed, regardless of the court’s decision.
The verdict is still pending. However, the story has already said a lot about what happens when professional disputes turn personal and personal disputes turn extremely public, thanks to its layers of disputed texts, Instagram posts, and intensely personal accusations.
