Rebel Wilson Accused of History Revision in Defamation Suit by The Deb Actress Charlotte MacInnes

Hollywood actress Rebel Wilson faces accusations of a "complete revision of history" in a defamation lawsuit filed by Charlotte MacInnes, a young Australian actress who stars in Wilson's film The Deb.

MacInnes claims the Bridesmaids star damaged her reputation through Instagram posts in 2024 and 2025. Wilson alleged that MacInnes withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against a film producer in return for professional favors. MacInnes denies ever filing such a complaint.

Over three weeks of court proceedings, testimony included claims that Wilson commissioned a smear website against the producer, which she denied. Witnesses also described MacInnes securing a major record deal months after sharing a bath with the producer.

The central incident occurred in September 2023. MacInnes, a 2021 graduate of a Western Australian acting academy, swam at Bondi Beach with Amanda Ghost, a producer on The Deb. Ghost suffered an allergic reaction to the cold water, developing red welts and shaking. The women returned to Ghost's luxury beachside apartment rental to warm up.

Ghost took a shower while MacInnes ran a bath. MacInnes entered the bath to warm up, still wearing her swimsuit, and Ghost joined her soon after, also in a swimsuit. Ghost's assistant delivered hot drinks to the pair in the bath and sat with them briefly.

Wilson's affidavit stated that MacInnes told her the next day: "Amanda asked me to have a bath and shower with her and it made me feel uncomfortable." Wilson wrote that she was shocked and troubled by the suggestion of anything untoward or sexual.

Two days later, concerned about the bath episode, Wilson called MacInnes again. Afterward, she texted Ghost: "Charlotte says all good. She just meant 'it was a bizarre situation' not that she felt personally uncomfortable x."

MacInnes's lawyers earlier called Wilson's claims "malicious concoctions" and accused her of using the incident as leverage in contract talks with the film's producers to demand more money. They also alleged Wilson bullied women on The Deb, a charge she dismissed as "absolute nonsense."

In Friday's closing arguments, Sue Chrysanthou SC described Wilson's account as a "complete revision of history" that "defies logic," noting Ghost was enduring a medical episode during the bath. She branded Wilson a "fantastical liar" who invented "terrible" allegations. MacInnes seeks aggravated damages for reputational harm.

Wilson's barrister, Dauid Sibtain SC, countered that MacInnes's career had not suffered from the posts and had actually prospered since.