Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut is now buried under a legal fight, and the language coming out of court is getting ugly fast.
The actress and filmmaker appeared in a Sydney courtroom on Monday to defend herself in a defamation lawsuit filed by Charlotte MacInnes, the lead actress in ‘The Deb’. MacInnes’ barrister branded Wilson a “bully,” accusing her of publicly going after the young actress in a way that had nothing to do with protecting anyone and everything to do with pressure and leverage.
Rebel Wilson Faces Court Fight Over Explosive ‘The Deb’ Claims
At the center of the lawsuit are four Instagram posts Wilson made about MacInnes, tied to a larger behind-the-scenes dispute surrounding ‘The Deb’, her directorial debut. MacInnes is suing Wilson over those posts, denying the version of events Wilson shared publicly.
The case traces back to an incident in September 2023 involving MacInnes and another woman, Ghost, after a swim at Bondi Beach. According to MacInnes’ side, Ghost suffered cold urticaria, a condition that can trigger a severe reaction to cold water, leaving her shaking uncontrollably and covered in hives. The court heard that MacInnes helped her back to an apartment, where the two shared a bath in swimsuits to warm Ghost up.
Wilson has claimed MacInnes later told her the incident made her uncomfortable. She also alleged that MacInnes later changed her account after receiving career opportunities from Ghost. MacInnes denies that and says Wilson’s public posts crossed the line into defamation.
The Word ‘Bully’ Changes the Tone of the Case
MacInnes’ barrister, Sue Chrysanthou, went directly at Wilson in court, saying, “Ms Wilson was not a whistleblower who was seeking to protect a young actress.” She accused Wilson of “slagging” MacInnes online and argued that the actress raised concerns about MacInnes “as leverage” during a separate dispute involving budgets and contracts on the film.
That is where the story gets even messier. The court also heard an allegation that Wilson took out a defamation insurance policy in March 2024 so she could “go ballistic” online about Ghost and other producers, according to Chrysanthou.
Wilson’s barrister, Dauid Sibtain, pushed back, arguing that the core issue is whether MacInnes did in fact report the bath incident to Wilson as something that made her uncomfortable, and whether she later changed that account. He also claimed the “wealth of prizes and opportunities” MacInnes later received came after she “decided to tie herself to Ms Ghost.”
The courtroom fight is expected to last nine days and is being streamed on YouTube. Meanwhile, ‘The Deb’, a feel-good story about outback teens heading to a debutante ball, has seen its release overshadowed by a legal battle far darker than anything on screen.
