{"id":620987,"date":"2026-04-21T08:22:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T08:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/620987\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T08:22:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T08:22:12","slug":"explosive-texts-in-defamation-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/620987\/","title":{"rendered":"Explosive texts in defamation case"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Michaela<\/p>\n

April 21, 2026 \u2014 4:25pm<\/p>\n

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Hollywood star Rebel Wilson was described as \u201cf—ing nuts\u201d in a text exchange between members of a crisis PR firm she is accused of hiring to launch a smear campaign against a film producer, the Federal Court has heard.<\/p>\n

Charlotte MacInnes, the young star of Wilson\u2019s directorial debut, Australian musical film The Deb, is suing Wilson for defamation over a series of social media posts. The trial, slated to run for nine days, started in the Federal Court in Sydney on Monday<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"RebelRebel Wilson outside the Federal Court in Sydney on Monday.Sitthixay Ditthavong<\/p>\n

As part of the case, lawyers for MacInnes have accused Wilson of enlisting American publicist Melissa Nathan of The Agency Group PR to launch a smear campaign<\/a> against a producer of the film, Amanda Ghost, that included websites containing false and malicious allegations.<\/p>\n

In an apparent reference to MacInnes, the websites claimed an unnamed actor had been rewarded \u201cfor remaining silent about the abuse she suffered at Ghost\u2019s hands\u201d.<\/p>\n

MacInnes has claimed in her lawsuit that a similar allegation by Wilson on social media is false and defamatory.<\/p>\n

Wilson has denied she was behind the alleged smear campaign.<\/p>\n

The court heard on Tuesday that texts between the agency\u2019s staff referred to Wilson as \u201cf—ing nuts\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u2018Rebel wants \u2026 one of those sites\u2019<\/p>\n

The allegations on the smear websites included branding Ghost \u201cthe Indian Ghislaine Maxwell\u201d who was \u201cprocuring young women for the pleasure of the extremely wealthy\u201d.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Rebel<\/a><\/p>\n

According to documents filed by MacInnes\u2019 lawyers in court, in August 2024 Nathan texted Katie Case, who worked at the PR agency at the time, and said: \u201cRebel wants a one [sic] of those sites.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can be really really harsh \u2026 making her a madam basically lol,\u201d Nathan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh my god lol ok this one will be fun,\u201d Case replied.<\/p>\n

Case gave evidence remotely on Tuesday in the Federal Court via audiovisual link from New York.<\/p>\n

She said she was given a document setting out what would be published on the website. Metadata that was examined later showed the document had been created under the name of Wilson\u2019s production company, Camp Sugar.<\/p>\n

But Case agreed with Wilson\u2019s barrister, Dauid Sibtain, SC, that someone else could have written the document and named Camp Sugar as the author. Case said she had never met or spoken to Wilson.<\/p>\n

Sibtain described the websites as \u201ca distraction\u201d.<\/p>\n

The posts<\/p>\n

At the centre of the costly court battle is a series of four Instagram stories posted by Wilson between September 2024 and May last year.<\/p>\n

Wilson alleged in one of the stories that MacInnes made \u201ca complaint to me as director\u201d in 2023 that Ghost \u201cmade her feel uncomfortable\u201d during an incident in Bondi.<\/p>\n

\"CharlotteCharlotte MacInnes arriving at the Federal Court in Sydney on Tuesday for the second day of her defamation case against Rebel Wilson.Edwina Pickles<\/p>\n

At the time of the alleged complaint, MacInnes was staying with Ghost at a rented Bondi penthouse apartment. Pia Ashcroft, then an assistant to Ghost, was also staying there. Other members of the cast and crew had accommodation in Zetland.<\/p>\n

Wilson alleged in the posts that MacInnes later \u201cchanged her story\u201d about the incident. She implied the young actor recanted the complaint in return for further career opportunities with Ghost.<\/p>\n

Lawyers for MacInnes say in court documents that their client \u201cdid not make \u2018a complaint\u2019 to Wilson \u2026 as alleged\u201d in the posts. They say Wilson defamed MacInnes by suggesting the rising star lied and changed her story to advance her career.<\/p>\n

The Bondi incident<\/p>\n

Barrister Sue Chrysanthou, SC, acting for MacInnes, said in her opening address to the court on Monday that the Bondi incident on September 5, 2023, was a response to a medical episode.<\/p>\n

Chrysanthou said Wilson \u201cwas not a whistleblower \u2026 seeking to protect a young actress\u201d and had only claimed when it \u201csuited\u201d her that MacInnes was \u201ca victim\u201d.<\/p>\n

Ghost was suffering from a condition known as cold urticaria after swimming at Bondi Beach with MacInnes, Chrysanthou said, and \u201cshe broke out in red welts and was shaking uncontrollably\u201d.<\/p>\n

MacInnes helped Ghost back to the apartment, Chrysanthou said, and the producer got into the shower in her swimmers while MacInnes, who was also cold, got into the bath in her swimmers.<\/p>\n

\u201cMs Ghost, still not warm enough, got into the bath, and it was an oversized bath. Ms MacInnes and Ms Ghost were not even touching at all. They both were wearing their swimmers the entire time.<\/p>\n

\u201cPia Ashcroft made hot drinks and the women sat around drinking them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chrysanthou said texts between Ghost and MacInnes that night corroborated this account.<\/p>\n

Ghost sent MacInnes an article about cold urticaria and MacInnes responded that this was \u201cwild\u201d and \u201cexactly what happened\u201d.<\/p>\n

Wilson accused of \u2018fabrication\u2019<\/p>\n

Wilson alleges MacInnes told her the next day that \u201cAmanda asked me to have a bath and a shower with her and it made me feel uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chrysanthou said MacInnes \u201csays, and has always said, that is not true. It is a lie. No such conversation occurred. It is a fabrication by Ms Wilson.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was \u201cno dispute\u201d that on September 7, the day after the Bondi incident, \u201cMs Wilson informed Ms Ghost of the so-called complaint\u201d, Chrysanthou said.<\/p>\n

But MacInnes\u2019 lawyers say Wilson texted Ghost later that day: \u201cCharlotte says all good. She just meant \u2018it was a bizarre situation\u2019 not that she personally felt uncomfortable x.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chrysanthou alleged Wilson raised the \u201cnon-existent allegation that had been put to bed\u201d again in October 2023 \u201cas leverage\u201d in a commercial dispute about the film.<\/p>\n

Wilson\u2019s defence<\/p>\n

Sibtain, acting for Wilson, said on Monday that this was \u201cnot a case about whether Ms MacInnes was or was not the subject of sexual harassment or other inappropriate conduct\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said the central issue was \u201cwhether Ms MacInnes reported to Ms Wilson that she\u2019d been asked by Ms Ghost to \u2026 bathe with her and whether she said it made her feel uncomfortable, and whether she later changed her story by denying that she\u2019d made such a complaint\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur case is that that is true: she changed her story,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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