Movie star Rebel Wilson has denied she mistreated multiple female colleagues during the production of The Deb movie in 2023 and instead styled herself as a woman’s champion, at the Federal Court on Monday.
Wilson is being sued by West Australian actress, Charlotte MacInnes, 26, for a series of Instagram posts the Pitch Perfect star made to her 11 million followers for 24 hours in 2024.
MacInnes claims the posts were defamatory in suggesting she made a complaint about being sexually harassed during the filming of the movie The Deb, before retracting the complaint to further her emerging career as a singer and actor.
“Rather than championing, Ms MacInnes I want to suggest you that you bullied and harassed her privately and publicly?” said Sue Chrysanthou, SC, for MacInnes on Monday.
“That’s absolute nonsense,” replied Wilson.
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Sign up“You bullied and harassed [movie co-producer Amanda] Ghost privately and publicly didn’t you?” said Chrysanthou.
“Absolute nonsense,” replied Wilson.
“And you bullied and harassed [The Deb co-writer] Hannah Reilly privately and publicly didn’t you?” said Chrysanthou.
“No as I said before, I wasn’t a fan of Hannah Reilly but I never publicly bullied or harassed her,” replied Wilson.
“Well you hated Hannah Riley didn’t you?” said Chyrsanthou. “Do you remember sending a text message effectively saying she should go f_ck herself?”
“No,” replied Ms Wilson.
During the production of The Deb movie Wilson admitted she got into dispute with Reilly about writing credits for it. Reilly wrote the original musical comedy The Deb that was first played at Sydney’s Walsh Bay Rebel Theatre in 2022.
Wilson says she has evidence of embezzlement during movie
Later on Monday, Chrysanthou accused Wilson of lying in making claims that Ghost’s husband embezzled $900,000 from the movie’s production budget.
“You understood that it was a despicable lie to accuse Ms Ghost and [her husband] Mr Cameron of embezzling $900,000 isn’t that right?” said Chrysanthou.
“Absolutely not,” replied Wilson. “There is evidence of Mr Cameron actively being dodgy and taking $900,000 from the film’s budget and trying to conceal that information from me,” Wilson added.
Chrysanthou later accused Wilson of making allegations of theft against Ghost and Cameron without “an iota” evidence.
Wilson denied she had no evidence of the alleged embezzlement.
Depraved sexual demands
Chrysanthou then argued Wilson instructed an American lawyer named Bryan Freedman to write a June 2024 letter alleging that Ghost and Gregor forced “a young actress [MacInnes] to stay with them in their apartment and comply with their depraved sexual demands.”
Have you ever apologised to Ms Ghost or Mr Cameron for the letter?” asked Chrysanthou.
“No,” replied Wilson.
You approved those words to go in that letter didn’t you?” said Chrysanthou.
“No, I have no memory of approving that letter,” said Wilson.
The movie star only accepted Freedman was one of her lawyers at the time.
The court also heard that in August 2024, Wilson allegedly requested a PR firm she used known as TAG (The Agency Group) to create a website about Ghost.
The website accused the producer of being a “madam” who was “procuring young women for the pleasure of the extremely wealthy”.
Wilson denies she instructed the PR agency to launch the website attacking Ghost.
Later in the day, Chrysanthou repeatedly attacked Wilson for being dishonest and untruthful about the letter alongside an allegation she deliberately concealed evidence.
“You have come here to not give evidence truthfully? Isn’t that right?” said Chryanthou.
“I’ve made an oath, I’m here,” replied Wilson. “This is very important to me to tell the court and her honour the truth of what happened.”
Instagram post about forgetful fish
Last week the court heard Wilson’s wife Ramona Agruma-Wilson had posted an Instagram story of Dory the forgetful fish in the movie Finding Nemo on April 24.
MacInnes complained to the court she thought the post was a deliberate attempt to criticise her as an unreliable witness with a poor memory on show during the trial.
On Monday, Chrysanthou challenged Wilson about her understanding of the Instagram story that referenced the forgetful fish.
“Do you recognise this blue fish character?” Chrysanthou asked Wilson.
“Yes, as a Disney fan I think I know it,” Wilson replied.
“Do you recognise it as a character notorious for having a bad memory? Do you understand your wife was mocking my client?” asked Chrysanthou.
“I just assumed it was about pregnancy brain, my wife is pregnant,” said Wilson.
“You heard Ms MacInnes felt it mocked her?” said Chrysanthou.
“Yeah, I thought it was interesting she thought it referred to her [MacInnes] if she had been looking at my wife’s Instagram she’d see the multiple older posts about being pregnant.”
Wilson then said herself and her wife thought it was funny MacInnes assumed the post was about her. Neither considered removing the 24-hour story from Instagram as they said it was about “pregnancy brain”.
Wilson defends action
Wilson is defending the court action and says McInnes verbally complained to her on September 6, 2023, about a bath she shared at a luxury Bondi Beach apartment with the movie’s co-producer Amanda Ghost.
MacInnes says the Instagram allegations about the September 5, 2023, bath complaint were fabricated and Wilson used them as leverage after a feud developed over finances with Ghost as The Deb movie’s co-producer.
Wilson accepts in her defence that she later uploaded a series of Instagram posts referencing a complaint which were available to her 11 million followers, but denies that two of the posts were about MacInnes.
The Deb movie is a musical comedy that was released in April 2026 in Australian cinemas. It’s the directorial debut of Wilson, who co-stars in it alongside MacInnes.
MacInnes is seeking aggravated damages for the lowering of her reputation based on Wilson’s Instagram posts, as well as a court order preventing Wilson from repeating the allegedly defamatory claims online.
Earlier on Monday, the court heard Agruma had decided not to attend as she is at the later stage of a pregnancy and based in California.
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