Rebel Wilson Prevails in Defamation Lawsuit Against Co-star
WHO:
Deadline - Rebel Wilson, Charlotte MacInnes, Justice Elizabeth Raper, Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron, Vince Holden
CNN - MacInnes is a young Australian actress who played the lead role in Wilson's directorial debut, "The Deb."
WHAT:
CNN - Justice Raper stated, “To say that the circumstances surrounding how they came to be in the bath are unusual would be an understatement.”
CNN - Wilson claimed that MacInnes had told her that Ghost had asked her to take a bath and shower with her, which made MacInnes “uncomfortable.”
CNN - Ghost described her reaction to swimming in the cold sea at Bondi Beach, stating she was “shivering uncontrollably and breaking out in welts.”
CNN - MacInnes affirmed in her affidavit: “There was nothing sexual in any way” regarding the bath incident.
CNN - Wilson's lawyer Bryan Freedman sent a letter in June 2024 that included “a number of seriously defamatory and false allegations of depraved sexual misconduct” toward Charlotte MacInnes.
CNN - Ghost claimed Wilson played a role in creating smear websites that labeled her the “Indian Ghislaine Maxwell.”
Deadline - Wilson stated she was “thankful” that the dispute had concluded for now.
CNN - Justice Raper found that only one of MacInnes's claims was “made out” – that MacInnes had changed her story about being uncomfortable, and that was not defamatory.
CNN - The case was dismissed with MacInnes ordered to pay costs.
CNN - Wilson expressed gratitude in an Instagram post after the ruling, thanking the judge and the Australian legal system for the “substantial win.”
CNN - Justice Elizabeth Raper dismissed MacInnes' defamation and breach-of-confidence claims and ordered her to pay Wilson's legal costs.
CNN - MacInnes accused Wilson of spreading lies about her to millions of followers on Instagram, claiming it made her the “subject of abuse, hatred and ridicule online” and affected her career prospects.
CNN - Justice Raper found that only one of MacInnes's claims was “made out” and that it was not defamatory.
CNN - Wilson stated that the legal storm surrounding the making of her first feature film was “like your worst nightmare,” and the issues had “come out of left field.”
CNN - Ghost claimed Wilson played a role in creating smear websites that labeled her the “Indian Ghislaine Maxwell.” Wilson denied involvement.
Deadline - A Sydney court ruled that Rebel Wilson did not defame Charlotte MacInnes.
CNN - The court dismissed the defamation case brought by MacInnes against Wilson, ordering MacInnes to pay costs.
CNN - Justice Raper found that only one of MacInnes's claims was “made out” and that it was not defamatory.
CNN - Wilson claimed MacInnes had changed her story about feeling uncomfortable, which was a key point in the ruling.
CNN - Wilson expressed gratitude for the ruling, stating she was looking forward to moving on.
WHERE:
BBC News - The court ruling took place in Sydney, Australia.
CNN - The film "The Deb" is set in an outback Australian town.
WHEN:
CNN - The incident involving MacInnes and producer Amanda Ghost in a bath occurred in September 2023.
CNN - The film "The Deb" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024.
CNN - The film was released in Australian cinemas earlier this year and is slated for release in the US in August 2026.
WHY:
CNN - MacInnes accused Wilson of using her as “leverage” in a separate dispute with the film's producers.
CNN - Wilson claimed she understood MacInnes to be reporting sexual harassment on set, which prompted her actions.
HOW:
CNN - The court case involved serious allegations, including smear campaigns and embezzlement related to the production of "The Deb," which were aired in multiple court cases.
CNN - Explosive allegations were made in a letter sent in June 2024 by Wilson’s lawyer Bryan Freedman to Ghost and the other producers of the film, which included “seriously defamatory and false allegations of depraved sexual misconduct” toward Charlotte MacInnes.
CNN - The court case involved serious allegations, including smear campaigns and embezzlement related to the production of "The Deb."
CNN - Ghost submitted to the court that she was shivering uncontrollably and breaking out in welts after swimming in the cold sea at Bondi Beach, which led to her entering the bath with MacInnes.
CNN - The court case involved allegations of smear campaigns and embezzlement related to the production of "The Deb."
CNN - MacInnes and Ghost stated they entered the bath to warm up after a cold swim at Bondi Beach, denying any sexual implications.
(UPDATED July 23, 2026 00:17 UTC)
In a complex court case involving serious allegations, Justice Raper remarked that the circumstances surrounding a bath incident were quite unusual. Wilson claimed that MacInnes felt uncomfortable when Ghost allegedly asked her to take a bath and shower together, while MacInnes insisted there was nothing sexual about the situation. Additionally, Ghost accused Wilson of being involved in smear campaigns that labeled her with derogatory titles, as the case also touched on issues of embezzlement related to the production of "The Deb."
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(UPDATED July 22, 2026 18:20 UTC)
In a recent ruling, Justice Raper dismissed the defamation case brought by Charlotte MacInnes, stating that only one of her claims was substantiated, which involved a change in her story about feeling uncomfortable, but that was not deemed defamatory. As a result, MacInnes has been ordered to pay costs, and Wilson expressed her gratitude in an Instagram post, thanking the judge and the Australian legal system for what she called a “substantial win.” This case stemmed from explosive allegations made in a letter from Wilson’s lawyer in June 2024, which accused MacInnes of making seriously defamatory and false claims of sexual misconduct.
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(UPDATED July 22, 2026 08:47 UTC)
Justice Elizabeth Raper has dismissed MacInnes' defamation and breach-of-confidence claims against Wilson, ordering MacInnes to cover Wilson's legal costs. MacInnes accused Wilson of spreading falsehoods to millions on Instagram, which she claimed led to online abuse and negatively impacted her career, but the court found only one of her claims was valid and not defamatory. The case involved serious allegations, including smear campaigns linked to the production of "The Deb," with Wilson describing the legal turmoil as “like your worst nightmare.”
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(UPDATED July 22, 2026 06:48 UTC)
A Sydney court has ruled that Rebel Wilson did not defame Charlotte MacInnes, dismissing the defamation case and ordering MacInnes to pay costs. Justice Raper found that only one of MacInnes's claims was substantiated and determined it was not defamatory, while Wilson expressed gratitude for the ruling and looked forward to moving on. The case stemmed from an incident involving MacInnes and producer Amanda Ghost in a bath after a swim at Bondi Beach in September 2023, with MacInnes accusing Wilson of using her as leverage in a separate dispute with the film's producers.