New twist in Rebel Wilson defamation suit

The star-studded Hollywood defamation suit that has had Australia gripped is not over yet.

This week, following a bitter dispute, the Federal Court ruled that Pitch Perfect star Rebel Wilson had not defamed co-star Charlotte MacInnes in a series of social media posts.

The explosive row bubbled over after Ms Wilson made public comments about Ms MacInnes sharing a bath with producer Amanda Ghost.

Ms MacInnes played the lead role in The Deb, Ms Wilson’s directorial debut, for which Ms Ghost was a producer.

It led to Ms MacInnes filing a defamation case against the Hollywood A-lister, which concluded in Australia’s Federal Court earlier this week.

However, it has now been confirmed that the bitter dispute could be far from over, after Ms MacInnes said she intends to appeal against Justice Raper’s ruling.

The court had heard the case centred around Ms MacInnes ending up in a bath alongside one of the film’s producers in their bathers.

“To say that the circumstances surrounding how they came to be in the bath are unusual would be an understatement,” Justice Raper said while delivering her judgment.

“Indeed, Ms MacInnes’ characterisation (purportedly at the time) that it was ‘bizarre’ and ‘a weird one’ are apt.”

In the controversial Instagram post, Ms Wilson claimed that her lead complained about felling uncomfortable during the incident, but rowed back on her concerns to further her career.

Ms MacInnes, however, denied making a complaint or feeling uncomfortable.

But on Wednesday, Justice Raper ruled Ms MacInnes had changed her story following the incident – also ruling that she had not been defamed.

“The accounts of Ms MacInnes and Ms Ghost are inconsistent and Ms MacInnes has changed her accounts in material respects over time. Both are unreliable historians,” Justice Raper added.

She ruled that Ms Wilson had successfully defended her case and proven her statements were “substantially true”.

Lawyers for Ms MacInnes have wasted no time refuting the court’s findings, however, flagging their intention to appeal.

In an Instagram post following the ruling, Ms Wilson thanked her fans, families and the Australian court system.

“This process has taught me a lot,” she wrote. “It has tested me, but it has also reinforced something that I’ve always believed.

“I want to live my life standing up for what I believe is right, while continuing to create work that brings people joy.”