Wilson is facing a defamation lawsuit filed by actor Charlotte MacInnes, related to social media posts that reportedly involved claims about a sexual harassment complaint.
Rebel Wilson was reportedly described as “nuts” by a PR team she is alleged to have hired to create websites targeting a co-producer of her directorial debut, a court has heard.
The Pitch Perfect star directed, co-produced, and acted in The Deb, a musical comedy set in rural New South Wales that has remained unreleased for two years amid legal disputes.
She is being sued by the film’s lead actor, Charlotte MacInnes, over social media posts that claimed the young performer had filed a sexual harassment complaint against co-producer Amanda Ghost.
MacInnes denies ever making such a complaint to Wilson, arguing she has been harmed by suggestions that she withdrew the alleged allegations in exchange for a lead role and a recording contract.
“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,” her barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC told the court.
The court also heard that the claims appeared on what were described as malicious smear websites allegedly created by a crisis PR firm, which targeted Ghost and accused her of being involved in sex trafficking.
Wilson is accused of instructing The Agency Group to publish the websites, a claim she has consistently denied.
According to evidence given by former The Agency Group employee Katie Case, Wilson became a client of the crisis management firm in July 2024, several months after MacInnes allegedly made her complaint.
The federal court was told that internal messages between agency staff referred to Wilson as “fucking nuts.”
Case said she was told by her supervisor, Melissa Nathan, in August that Wilson wanted one of “those sites” created.
“It can be really really harsh … making her a madam basically lol,” Nathan allegedly instructed, according to court documents.
“Oh my god lol ok this one will be fun,” Case reportedly replied.
Case told the court she understood she was being asked to draft content for a takedown website that could be “used as a tool to aid attorneys in ongoing litigation.”
She was later provided with a “fully drafted” Word document outlining what was required for the website, which she edited and expanded with input from colleagues.
While she did not know who originally authored the document, she said metadata later showed it had been created under the name of Wilson’s company. However, she acknowledged it could have been edited by others before being sent to her.
Case also told the court she had never met or spoken to Wilson.
“The websites are a distraction,” her barrister David Sibtain SC told the court on Monday.
He argued they were not central to the case, adding that the key issue was whether Charlotte MacInnes did in fact make a complaint to Wilson.
Further details about the aftermath of the alleged complaint were provided in court by Carmen Pavlovic, a friend of Amanda Ghost and a theatrical producer. She told the court that Ghost experienced a medical episode at Bondi Beach in September 2023 and was assisted by MacInnes, with the pair later sharing a bath while wearing swimsuits.
Pavlovic said Ghost appeared angry and distressed with MacInnes after Wilson alleged the young actor had complained about feeling uncomfortable.
She also told the court that both Ghost and Wilson suggested MacInnes may be “troublemaking,” but she urged them to follow proper procedures to ensure the actor’s concerns were appropriately addressed.
“I was concerned things could blow up if they weren’t properly clarified,” she said.
Ghost’s husband and The Deb co-producer Gregor Cameron is expected to give evidence on Tuesday afternoon. Both producers are also involved in a separate legal dispute with Wilson in the NSW Supreme Court.
The Deb was released in Australia in April after legal complications delayed its wider release following its 2024 film festival debut.
About the Author
