Rebel Wilson has won the defamation case filed against her by Australian actress Charlotte MacInnes. The legal battle came after Wilson made Instagram posts about MacInnes and events linked to their film, The Deb. On Wednesday, a Sydney court dismissed the lawsuit. The judge also ordered MacInnes to pay Wilson’s legal costs. As a result, Wilson walked away with a major courtroom victory.
The case started after Wilson claimed MacInnes changed her story about a complaint involving film producer Amanda Ghost. According to Wilson’s posts, MacInnes withdrew claims of sexual harassment to help her career. However, MacInnes strongly denied that accusation. During the trial, Justice Elizabeth Raper ruled that the claim was not defamatory. She also said MacInnes failed to prove the posts caused, or were likely to cause, serious harm to her reputation.
The court also examined an unusual incident from September 2023. MacInnes and Ghost had gone swimming at Bondi Beach when Ghost reacted badly to the cold water. They later returned to Ghost’s apartment. While Ghost took a shower, MacInnes prepared a bath. Both women later sat in the bath wearing swimsuits. Justice Raper described the situation by saying,
“To say that the circumstance surrounding how they came to be in the bath are unusual would be an understatement.”
Wilson also testified that MacInnes later told her,
“Amanda asked me to have a bath and shower with her and it made me feel uncomfortable.”
However, Wilson later sent Ghost a text saying MacInnes had clarified that it was simply “a bizarre situation” and that she did not feel personally uncomfortable.
After the ruling, Wilson celebrated the outcome on Instagram. She wrote,
“The process has taught me a lot.”
She added,
“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.”
Wilson also thanked her supporters, the judge, and the Australian legal system.
