Rebel Wilson did not defame Charlotte MacInnes, the Australian actress who stars in her directorial debut The Deb, a Sydney court has ruled.
After an explosive and often bitter court battle earlier this year, Wilson has emerged victorious, saying she was “thankful” that the dispute had concluded for now. There are numerous other legal fronts in the messy wrangle over The Deb, including unresolved arguments between Wilson and the producers.
MacInnes claimed that Wilson damaged her reputation by alleging that she was sexually harassed by The Deb producer, Amanda Ghost, and then colluded with Ghost to cover up what took place.
At the heart of the case is an incident in September 2023, when Ghost shared a bath with MacInnes in a Sydney apartment after they had been swimming on Bondi beach. Ghost and MacInnes do not deny that they bathed together, but both say it was a non-sexual encounter, during which they were wearing swimsuits, after Ghost experienced a medical incident.
Wilson claimed that MacInnes told her that the incident made the young actress uncomfortable. Wilson further alleged that MacInnes later withdrew her complaint after being given career opportunities by Ghost. MacInnes denied that the incident made her uncomfortable, suing Wilson over four Instagram posts, in which the Bridesmaids star discussed the events.
Justice Elizabeth Raper, the Australian judge who presided over the case, agreed with Wilson. “MacInnes changed her story about feeling uncomfortable about what happened in the bathroom,” the judge ruled, adding that Wilson’s social media posts about MacInnes were not defamatory “by reason of these findings.”
Delivering her verdict on Wednesday in Sydney, the judge added: “MacInnes has failed to establish that the publications have caused or were likely to cause serious harm.”
In a statement, Wilson said: “I’m grateful the court has taken the time to carefully consider the evidence and reach its decision. This has been a long process and throughout I have tried to stay grounded in my values and what I believed was right. I’m thankful that process has now reached its conclusion.
“I have always believed in the importance of telling stories that reflect real experiences and give people the opportunity to see themselves represented. The Deb is a story I’m incredibly passionate about because it celebrates individuality, resilience and the courage to be yourself. I hope audiences will experience the story for themselves and connect with the values at its heart.
“Right now, what I’m focused on is what matters most, my family and my work.”
MacInnes has been approached for comment. The ruling will not only be a blow to the actress, but also to Ghost and other The Deb producers, who gave evidence in support of MacInnes. They are suing Wilson in the LA Superior Court, accusing the Pitch Perfect star of pursuing an unjustified vendetta after being denied a writing credit on The Deb.
Justice Raper was not convinced by the testimony of MacInnes, Ghost, and Wilson, but ultimately deemed that Wilson’s actions after the bathing incident supported her story.
“I have serious misgivings as to the truthfulness of the testimony of each of Ms MacInnes, Ms Ghost and Ms Wilson,” the judge said. “Whilst I accept that Ms Wilson has a propensity to exaggerate events and her evidence could be found to be untruthful on occasion, the evidence establishes that Ms Wilson acted in a manner consistent with a complaint being made and her own contemporaneous documentary trail supports this.”
The ruling comes as Sunrise Films has set an August 25 U.S. digital release date for The Deb. Wilson’s second feature, Girl Group, will also premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
