Rebel Wilson has prevailed in a defamation case brought by Charlotte MacInnes, a young Australian actress who appeared in Wilson’s film The Deb. A Sydney court dismissed the case on Wednesday, with Justice Elizabeth Raper ruling that the allegations in question did not constitute defamation and that MacInnes had failed to demonstrate the posts caused or were likely to cause serious harm to her reputation.
The dispute centered on Instagram posts Wilson published during 2024 and 2025 in which she suggested MacInnes had retracted allegations of sexual harassment against a film producer in order to advance her career—a characterization MacInnes disputed. The case ultimately traced back to an incident in September 2023 when MacInnes attended a beach outing with Amanda Ghost, a producer on The Deb. After Ghost experienced an allergic reaction to cold water, the two returned to Ghost’s rental apartment, where they subsequently bathed together while wearing swimsuits. MacInnes had initially conveyed discomfort about the incident to Wilson, but later characterized it differently in subsequent conversations.
During the three-week trial held earlier in the year, evidence emerged of communications between Wilson and MacInnes regarding the bath incident. Wilson maintained that MacInnes later clarified she had meant the situation was simply unusual rather than personally uncomfortable. Wilson had sent a text to Ghost stating that MacInnes viewed the episode as “a bizarre situation” rather than something that made her feel personally uneasy. Justice Raper noted in her ruling that the circumstances surrounding the bath incident were indeed unusual.
MacInnes’s legal team characterized Wilson’s statements as “malicious concoctions,” and the court heard allegations that Wilson had commissioned a smear website targeting Ghost—claims Wilson denied. Wilson’s legal representatives argued that MacInnes had not suffered the claimed harm, pointing to a recent record deal MacInnes had secured.
Following the decision, Wilson posted on social media expressing gratitude for the conclusion of the case and stating that the process had reinforced her commitment to advocating for what she believes is right while continuing to create joyful entertainment.
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