Rebel Wilson Accused of Hiring PR Team to Attack Colleague, Court Hears
Rebel Wilson is currently facing a defamation lawsuit filed by actor Charlotte MacInnes concerning social media posts that alleged MacInnes made a sexual harassment complaint.
The Pitch Perfect star directed, co-produced, and starred in The Deb, a musical comedy set in rural New South Wales. The film remained unreleased for two years due to ongoing legal disputes.
MacInnes, who played the lead role in the film, denies having made any sexual harassment complaint to Wilson. She claims she has been harmed by Wilson's insinuations that MacInnes withdrew such allegations in exchange for a lead role and a record deal.
“[This is] a malignant allegation against my client that she sold the allegation of sexual harassment in exchange for her own professional and commercial benefit,” said MacInnes's barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC.
The court was informed that the claim was referenced in malicious smear websites created by a crisis public relations firm. These websites targeted co-producer Amanda Ghost, accusing her of being a sex trafficker.
Wilson is accused of instructing The Agency Group to publish these websites but has consistently denied any involvement.
Wilson reportedly became a client of the crisis management team in July 2024, several months after MacInnes allegedly made the complaint, according to testimony from former Agency Group employee Katie Case.
During the court proceedings on Tuesday, texts between the agency’s staff revealed that Wilson was described as “fucking nuts.”
Case testified that in August, her supervisor Melissa Nathan informed her that Wilson wanted one of “those sites” created.
“It can be really really harsh … making her a madam basically lol,” Nathan instructed, according to court documents.
“Oh my god lol ok this one will be fun,” Case responded.
Case understood she was tasked with drafting copy for a take-down website intended to serve as a tool to assist attorneys involved in ongoing litigation.
She was provided with a fully drafted Word document outlining the desired website content, which she edited and supplemented with suggestions from colleagues.
Although Case did not know who originally authored the document, metadata later revealed it was created under the name of Wilson’s company. However, she acknowledged that others could have written or edited the document before it was sent to her.
Case also stated that she had never met or spoken directly with Wilson.
“The websites are a distraction,” Wilson’s barrister Dauid Sibtain SC told the court on Monday.
“They are not really about the critical issue in this case … [which] is that Ms MacInnes did in fact make a complaint to Ms Wilson.”
Details on the Aftermath of the Alleged Complaint
Additional information regarding the aftermath of the alleged complaint was provided by theatrical producer Carmen Pavlovic, a friend of Amanda Ghost.
Pavlovic recounted that Ghost experienced a medical episode at Bondi Beach in September 2023 and was assisted by MacInnes. The two later shared a bath while wearing their swimsuits.
Following Wilson’s claims that MacInnes had complained about feeling uncomfortable, Ghost appeared angry and very upset with MacInnes, Pavlovic told the court.
Both Ghost and Wilson suggested that MacInnes might be “troublemaking,” but Pavlovic encouraged them to follow proper procedures to ensure MacInnes felt heard.
“I was concerned things could blow up if they weren’t properly clarified,” Pavlovic said.
Ghost’s husband and co-producer on The Deb, Gregor Cameron, is scheduled to testify on Tuesday afternoon. Both producers are involved in a separate lawsuit against Wilson in the New South Wales Supreme Court.
The Deb was released earlier in April in Australia after legal issues had prevented its widespread release following its 2024 film festival premiere.
