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Updated April 30, 2026 \u2014 12:38pm,first published April 30, 2026 \u2014 9:50am<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Rebel Wilson has rejected as \u201coutrageous\u201d a suggestion that she orchestrated an alleged cyberattack on the social media account of a young actor that led to her nude photo being leaked.<\/p>\n Wilson returned to the Federal Court witness box in Sydney on Thursday as she defends a defamation case brought against her by Charlotte MacInnes<\/a>, a lead actor in Australian musical film The Deb. The film was Wilson\u2019s directorial debut.<\/p>\n In written evidence filed in court, MacInnes made an explosive allegation<\/a> that she believed Wilson was involved in an incident in September 2025 where MacInnes\u2019 Snapchat account was hacked.<\/p>\n Related Article A nude photo of her that she had sent to her boyfriend was sent to her contacts, MacInnes said.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that this was orchestrated by Rebel,\u201d MacInnes said. \u201cIt was completely terrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n MacInnes alleged the leak occurred on September 28, 2025. She had filed defamation proceedings against Wilson on September 25.<\/p>\n \u201cAt around the same time, someone also attempted to hack my Facebook account,\u201d MacInnes said in the affidavit.<\/p>\n MacInnes\u2019 barrister, Sue Chrysanthou, SC, asked Wilson during cross-examination on Thursday: \u201cDid you arrange for someone to hack her Snapchat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is absolutely an outrageous statement to make in court, that I moonlight as a hacker,\u201d Wilson replied.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t say you hacked anyone, Ms Wilson,\u201d Chrysanthou pressed. \u201cI said did you arrange for anyone to hack her Snapchat shortly after you were sued by her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cObviously not,\u201d Wilson replied.<\/p>\n MacInnes, 27, appeared alongside Wilson, 46, in The Deb and is suing the Hollywood star over a series of Instagram stories posted between September 2024 and July last year.<\/p>\n She alleges Wilson defamed her on Instagram by suggesting she was a \u201csellout\u201d and a liar who recanted a sexual harassment complaint to Wilson about one of the film\u2019s producers, Amanda Ghost, in return for further job opportunities with Ghost. MacInnes denies making a complaint.<\/p>\n That is absolutely an outrageous statement to make in court, that I moonlight as a hacker.<\/p>\n Rebel Wilson, during cross-examination in the Federal Court on Thursday.<\/p>\n Wilson rejected as \u201cnonsense\u201d a suggestion by Chrysanthou on Wednesday that she made up the complaint to create division between Ghost and MacInnes. This was an \u201cabsolute nightmare situation\u201d for her<\/a> as a first-time director, Wilson said.<\/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 Related Article She said on Thursday she \u201creceived no benefit\u201d from speaking publicly about the allegation and had \u201ctold the truth at significant cost to myself\u201d. In her view the case was \u201cbaseless\u201d, she told the court, and \u201chasn\u2019t really been brought by Ms MacInnes\u201d.<\/p>\n Wilson, who was a producer as well as director of the film, is facing separate lawsuits brought against her by the international co-producers of The Deb, including a US defamation suit.<\/p>\n Explicit text about screenwriter<\/p>\n During her evidence in Sydney on Thursday, Wilson was shown a text message she sent a producer of the film on September 20, 2023, in which she said Hannah Reilly, the writer of The Deb, could \u201cf— right off\u201d.<\/p>\n Chrysanthou alleged in court that Wilson\u2019s \u201cfury over not getting the shared writing credit\u201d with Reilly sparked further rows between Wilson and her co-producers.<\/p>\n In an email in October 2023, Wilson said she would be \u201cclaiming a shared writing credit for the screenplay with Hannah Riley [sic] after completing 4 drafts on the script\u201d.<\/p>\n Reilly wrote the stage production of The Deb and developed the script for film. The court has heard Wilson and Reilly had a falling out after Wilson sought a writing credit.<\/p>\n The Australian Writers\u2019 Guild 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 court has heard Wilson suspected MacInnes, who had also appeared in the stage production of The Deb, had been leaking information to Reilly amid the dispute over writing credits.<\/p>\n \u201cF— we\u2019ve found the leak! Charlotte\u2019s been feeding Hannah info!\u201d Wilson said in a text to a producer on September 5, 2023.<\/p>\n MacInnes denies the allegation. During her evidence this week, Wilson denied bullying MacInnes<\/a> and Reilly and said in an affidavit filed in court that she considers herself a \u201cchampion of women\u201d.<\/p>\n The Instagram stories<\/p>\n At the heart of the defamation case is a series of Instagram stories by Wilson which 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. She alleged MacInnes later \u201cchanged her story\u201d to advance her career.<\/p>\n Related Article Neither MacInnes nor Ghost was named in the initial story, but it contained identifying information including an image of MacInnes.<\/p>\n There is no dispute Ghost and MacInnes shared a bath on September 5, 2023, while wearing their swimming costumes.<\/p>\n The women 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, they were staying at a rented Bondi apartment during rehearsals for The Deb.<\/p>\n It is also 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 But Wilson raised the alleged complaint about the bath incident again in October 2023. 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 \u201cYou used the allegation, which had long since been resolved, to get your way, didn\u2019t you?\u201d Chrysanthou asked during cross-examination on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cIt hadn\u2019t been resolved. Things had calmed down, yes, but did I have a sense of uneasiness about what the truth was, what actually happened? Yes, I had an uneasiness,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cIt was really sus [suspicious].\u201d<\/p>\n The Federal Court hearing in Sydney is expected to conclude on Friday after a nine-day trial.<\/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\/9c0b978298e0e739977104b012d0508b2ca91d93.jpeg\")
Rebel Wilson arrives at the Federal Court on Thursday.Louise Kennerley<\/p>\n![\"Rebel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/7192a16c5a3f57c7c391afe3f4f3122cea2cbb575a1ad05ac64907906116682e.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Charlotte](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/c82561789b62d834b534f459b38195d9ce8b7081.jpeg\")
Charlotte MacInnes and her barrister Sue Chrysanthou, SC. The actor is suing Wilson for defamation.Louise Kennerley<\/p>\n![\"Rebel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777519815_765_9f0b61df28a8bc30182b31841f83442425cb8500.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Producer](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/21d519e3b43add7fadbc0f1b0883d01da0a819f6.jpeg\")
Producer Amanda Ghost has a central role in the defamation case.Louise Kennerley<\/p>\n![\"Rebel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777519817_918_792e5f4ffe3572bf42102d1900c23e230e1b2b52afe8b0fb6964380c1acc3d1d.jpeg\")
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