Rebel Wilson vs Charlotte MacInnes: Australian actor wins defamation case over Instagram posts
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Rebel Wilson vs Charlotte MacInnes: Australian actor wins defamation case over Instagram posts")
Rebel Wilson Photograph: (AFP)
Actor Rebel Wilson has received relief from a Sydney court after it dismissed a defamation case against her by Charlotte MacInnes. The update came on Wednesday, and The Deb actor is stated to pay Wilson's legal costs.
Rebel Wilson has received a legal win after a Sydney court dismissed a defamation case against her by The Deb actor Charlotte MacInnes. On Wednesday, Justice Elizabeth Raper ruled that MacInnes had not established that the Australian actor's social media posts caused, or were likely to cause, serious harm to her reputation.
In addition to this, the court also ordered MacInnes to pay Wilson's legal costs.
What was the case?
The legal case began because of the Instagram posts Wilson shared in 2024 and 2025 regarding MacInnes, who played the lead role in Wilson's directorial debut, The Deb.
Also Read: Actress Rebel Wilson addresses legal dispute after co-star sued her for alleged harassment
MacInnes claimed that the posts falsely suggested she had changed her account of an alleged sexual harassment incident involving one of the film's producers to advance her career.
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She denied ever making or withdrawing such a complaint and claimed the posts led to online abuse against her and also affected future employment opportunities.
The verdict
Justice Raper delivered the verdict concluding that MacInnes had "failed to establish that the publications have caused or were likely to cause serious harm."
The judge further added that the only potentially defamatory meaning established in court, that MacInnes had altered her version of events, did not amount to defamation under the law.
The issue dates back to an incident from September 2023 during the shooting of The Deb. According to evidence presented in court, producer Amanda Ghost experienced a severe reaction after swimming at Sydney's Bondi Beach.
Ghost and MacInnes came back to an apartment rented by the production. They reportedly entered a bath wearing swimsuits to warm up, but both women maintained there was nothing inappropriate at the moment.
Justice Raper commented, "To say that the circumstances surrounding how they came to be in the bath are unusual would be an understatement."
Wilson, however, testified that MacInnes had previously told her the experience had made her feel "uncomfortable." She said she felt those remarks as a report of sexual harassment and believed it was her responsibility as the film's director to act.
Throughout the trial, Wilson denied fabricating any allegations, and told the court, "I am known as a truth-teller. I don't classify it as an attack, I classify it as telling the truth."
MacInnes' barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC, during closing arguments, described Wilson as "a fantastical liar who has made up terrible, terrible allegations about multiple people."
Wilson's lawyer, Dauid Sibtain SC, rejected those accusations, arguing his client "had no motive to lie" and insisting MacInnes had not suffered serious reputational damage.
Following the ruling, Wilson shared a statement on Instagram, saying, "This process has taught me a lot. It has tested me, but it has 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 people joy."
She further added, "I'm grateful this chapter has reached its conclusion and I'm 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 who I have the utmost respect for."
