![\"Michaela](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ab26b9357499fdacb1cdd0be7daf9c7eb896381f.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Updated April 29, 2026 \u2014 12:11pm,first published April 29, 2026 \u2014 9:46am<\/p>\n
Save<\/p>\n
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n
Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Rebel Wilson has told a court it was an \u201cabsolute nightmare situation\u201d for a sexual harassment complaint to be made by a lead actor against a producer in her directorial debut as she denied fabricating the story to create division.<\/p>\n Wilson, 46, is at the centre of a welter of litigation, including a US lawsuit, brought against her by her international co-producers on The Deb, an Australian musical film released earlier this month.<\/p>\n She is also being sued for defamation in the Federal Court by a lead actor in the film, Charlotte MacInnes, 27, over a series of comments on Instagram.<\/p>\n Wilson started giving evidence in the nine-day defamation trial on Tuesday and returned to the witness box on Wednesday for further cross-examination by MacInnes\u2019 barrister, Sue Chrysanthou, SC.<\/p>\n MacInnes alleges Wilson defamed her by suggesting she was a \u201csellout\u201d and a liar who recanted a complaint to Wilson about one of the film\u2019s producers, Amanda Ghost, in return for further career opportunities with Ghost.<\/p>\n MacInnes told the court last week that she \u201cnever made a complaint\u201d to Wilson and \u201cdidn\u2019t walk back anything\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2018Absolute nightmare situation\u2019<\/p>\n Wilson rejected as \u201cnonsense\u201d a suggestion by Chrysanthou on Wednesday that she made up the complaint to be divisive, and said this was an \u201cabsolute nightmare situation\u201d for her as a first-time director.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s nonsensical. I\u2019d worked for years to get this project up,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cIt would not at all be in my interest to make up a sexual harassment complaint between these two very important people.\u201d<\/p>\n Wilson denied on Tuesday that she had \u201cbullied and harassed\u201d MacInnes \u201cpublicly and privately\u201d.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Wilson was shown text messages between her and MacInnes at the beginning of their working relationship in May 2023.<\/p>\n The court heard Wilson secured a ticket for MacInnes to watch a production on London\u2019s West End with her and some cast mates from The Deb, but MacInnes did not reply at the time to text messages. MacInnes texted later that she \u201cended up getting dinner with Amanda and only just got wifi\u201d. In follow-up texts she offered \u201chuge apologies\u201d.<\/p>\n Wilson responded: \u201cHi Charlotte. I appreciate the apology. In the future, it is terribly rude to say you wanted a ticket to a show and then you don\u2019t reply or follow up. It\u2019s not a great start to our working relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n Chrysanthou put to Wilson on Wednesday that the text was a \u201cform of bullying \u2026 of this young actress who you were superior to in the context of the film\u201d.<\/p>\n Wilson said she did not regard \u201cone text message as bullying\u201d, and she did not \u201csee how inviting someone who loves musical theatre to a musical is bullying in any way\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was chastisement of a person over which you held power that was completely over the top,\u201d Chrysanthou said. \u201cNo, I don\u2019t agree,\u201d Wilson said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n During cross-examination on Tuesday, Wilson also denied bullying and harassing Ghost and the film\u2019s writer Hannah Reilly, who wrote the stage production of The Deb and developed the script for film.<\/p>\n The court has heard Wilson and Reilly had a falling out after Wilson sought a writing credit for the film.<\/p>\n The Australian Writers Guild\u2019 found in favour of Reilly in 2024 in a binding arbitration, and she received sole credit for writing the screenplay. Wilson received an additional writing credit.<\/p>\n The Instagram stories<\/p>\n Wilson made the comments at the centre of the lawsuit in Instagram stories between September 2024 and July last year.<\/p>\n Related Article She suggested MacInnes made \u201ca complaint to me as director\u201d that Ghost \u201casked her to have a bath and shower with her and it made her feel uncomfortable\u201d, but the young actor later \u201cchanged her story\u201d to advance her career. MacInnes denies the claims.<\/p>\n Neither woman was named in that Instagram story, but it contained identifying information.<\/p>\n There is no dispute that MacInnes and Ghost shared a bath on September 5, 2023, while they were wearing their swimming costumes.<\/p>\n MacInnes and Ghost say it was in response to a medical episode in which Ghost had a reaction to cold water after swimming at Bondi Beach. At the time, the pair were staying at a rented Bondi apartment \u2013 along with Ghost\u2019s assistant Pia Ashcroft, who was head of music at Ghost\u2019s production company \u2013 during rehearsals for The Deb.<\/p>\n Wilson alleges MacInnes confided in her the following day that the incident made her uncomfortable before she \u201cchanged her story\u201d to secure other career opportunities with Ghost, a claim MacInnes denies.<\/p>\n Wilson gave evidence on Wednesday that Ashcroft had told her \u201cthat she had walked in and seen them [Ghost and MacInnes] together\u201d in the bath. Later, she told the court there was a point where Ashcroft\u2019s opinion of Ghost started to \u201cshift\u201d.<\/p>\n It is not disputed that Wilson called MacInnes on September 7, 2023, before texting Ghost: \u201cCharlotte says all good. She just meant \u2018it was a bizarre situation\u2019 not that she felt personally uncomfortable x.\u201d<\/p>\n Wilson agreed that she had joked with Ghost later that month about re-casting MacInnes in the film.<\/p>\n But Wilson raised the alleged complaint again some weeks later. Chrysanthou claims she did so as \u201cleverage\u201d amid a commercial dispute with the film\u2019s producers rather than to protect a young actor, an allegation Wilson denies.<\/p>\n The hearing continues.<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Rebel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6ff1925b8601cfe64fbc5f691f8a41ace0108cee.jpeg\")
Rebel Wilson outside the Federal Court in Sydney on Wednesday.Sitthixay Ditthavong<\/p>\n![\"Charlotte](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/35eff18f487b7fbdd7843931843654a7e58725fd.jpeg\")
Charlotte MacInnes arrives at the Federal Court in Sydney on Wednesday.Sitthixay DitthavongWilson denies text \u2018over the top\u2019<\/p>\n![\"Wilson](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/fa0819de017ac8c04e0aa87147e33f8b9ba751fb.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Rebel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9f0b61df28a8bc30182b31841f83442425cb8500.jpeg\")
Rebel Wilson arrives at the Federal Court in Sydney on Wednesday.Dominic Lorrimer<\/p>\n