An Australian court has recused Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rebel Wilson from a defamation lawsuit brought against her by actress Charlotte MacInnes.The court dismissed the case on Wednesday and ordered MacInnes to pay Wilson’s legal fees. New South Wales Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Raper issued the ruling, rejecting claims that Wilson’s Instagram posts had “defamed” her and caused serious damage to her reputation and career.
The court rejects the claim for defamation
MacInnes, who played the title role in Wilson’s directorial debut ‘The Deb’, alleged that Wilson had spread false statements about her to her millions of Instagram followers. He argued that the posts had made him “the subject of abuse, hatred and ridicule online”.However, Judge Raper dismissed the claim, finding that MacInnes had failed to establish that the posts had caused or were likely to cause serious harm. The judge also ruled that the implication that MacInnes had changed her story about the incident was not defamatory and ordered the actress to pay Wilson’s legal costs.
Rebel Wilson writes an emotional note
ID@undefined Subtitle is not available.After the sentencing, Rebel took to her social media handle to share: “My love, (apart from my wonderful family and friends obviously) is entertaining people, making you laugh and hopefully feel something.In the first play I wrote, produced and starred in, a lady in the audience wrote me saying she brought her 13-year-old niece to see it. Unfortunately, her niece had killed her mother a few weeks earlier, and for the first time, sitting in the theater watching my show, she smiled. That meant everything to me. Affecting people in this positive way is what drives me to work these incredibly long hours and continue amidst a sea of rejection in an industry full of sharks. It fuels me to have come from a family of dog shows in the suburbs of Sydney, selling dog products out of our caravan, to become internationally known and respected. I know that sometimes what I do can be “silly”, but it is very important to me and I take my job very seriously. I love what I do and I am very passionate about the things I do and the brilliant people I work with. THE DEB, an Australian musical comedy, was my dream job, my DEB-UT as a director, my directorial debut, a celebration of Australian stories and something I poured years of passion into alongside an incredible cast and crew. Seeing this journey cut short has been incredibly difficult, but I’ve always believed it was a story worth telling.This process has taught me a lot. It’s tested me, but it’s also reinforced something 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 joy to people. I am incredibly proud to have continued to make films, including my second film as a director, GIRL GROUP, which is also pure fun and joy. And in MAJOR news, coincidentally, it’s also premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. I am SO proud and SO excited for audiences to experience these stories. Thanks to everyone who has supported me. I am grateful that this chapter has come to an end and I am looking forward to getting back to what I love most, my family and my work. Thank you to the judge and the Australian legal system for whom I have the utmost respect.”
About the demand
The lawsuit stemmed from a series of Instagram posts in which Wilson suggested that MacInnes had dropped a sexual harassment allegation involving ‘The Deb’ producers in order to advance his career as an actor and singer.MacInnes denied ever making such a complaint.Set in a rural Australian town, ‘The Deb’ follows two cousins, one from the city and one from the country, as they prepare for a bachelorette party. Although it was intended to be an uplifting coming-of-age story, its output has been overshadowed by multiple legal disputes involving allegations such as defamation and embezzlement campaigns.
The Bondi Beach Incident
A major part of the proceedings focused on an incident that happened in September 2023, when MacInnes went swimming at Bondi Beach with Amanda Ghost, one of the film’s producers. According to evidence presented in court, Ghost suffered an allergic reaction after stepping into the cold water, prompting the pair to return to the luxury apartment and allegedly join her in the shower. The court heard that both women were wearing bathing suits.Passing sentence, Judge Raper said: “To say that the circumstances surrounding how they got to the bathroom are unusual would be an understatement.”
Wilson’s evidence
During the three-week trial earlier this year, Wilson testified that MacInnes had spoken to her the day after the Bondi Beach incident and allegedly said: “Amanda asked me to bathe and shower with her and she made me feel uncomfortable.”Wilson told the court she later contacted MacInnes again because she was concerned about what had happened. After that conversation, Wilson sent Ghost a text message, which was introduced into evidence during the trial. It read: “Charlotte says it all well. I just wanted to say ‘it was a weird situation’, not that she felt personally uncomfortable.”