A Sydney courtroom became the stage for a bitter defamation battle on Monday, with lawyers for actress Charlotte MacInnes branding Rebel Wilson's social media allegations as "malicious concoctions" designed to tarnish her reputation.
MacInnes, who stars in Wilson's film The Deb, is suing the Hollywood star over a series of Instagram posts made in 2024 and 2025. In them, Wilson claimed MacInnes had felt "uncomfortable" after sharing a bath with a female producer on the film, then retracted a complaint in exchange for career opportunities—a narrative MacInnes' legal team vehemently denies.
"These allegations are completely false, fantasy, malicious concoctions," Sue Chrysanthou SC told the court, arguing the posts have damaged MacInnes' standing for integrity and honesty. MacInnes is seeking damages for defamation.
The dispute centers on an incident at Bondi Beach on September 5, 2023. After a swim, producer Amanda Ghost experienced an allergic reaction, leading both women—still in swimsuits—to share what was described as an "oversized" bath at Ghost's apartment to warm up. According to Chrysanthou, they "were not even touching at all," and Ghost's assistant was present briefly.
Text messages shown in court revealed a shifting narrative. Wilson initially told Ghost that MacInnes felt uncomfortable, but later texted: "Charlotte says all good. She just meant 'it was a bizarre situation' not that she personally felt uncomfortable."
Wilson's lawyer, Dauid Sibtain, presented a counter-argument, suggesting MacInnes lied about her initial complaint to "appease" Ghost and advance her career. He pointed to her subsequent roles in a U.S. theatre production and a record deal as evidence her reputation hasn't suffered.
"She's suffered no harm to her reputation, indeed, her career has progressed," Sibtain contended. "All of these wealth of prizes and opportunities that have materialised has come, we would suggest, because Ms MacInnes decided to tie herself to Ms Ghost's version."
The trial, expected to last nine days, adds to Wilson's legal woes. She faces separate cases in Australia over alleged contract breaches with The Deb producers and a U.S. lawsuit where she is countersuing for defamation. Meanwhile, MacInnes, a 2021 acting academy graduate, continues her role in the outback musical comedy, which was released in Australia this month.