Rebel Wilson to testify in film fight with co-star

Aussie A-lister Rebel Wilson will star in a real-life courtroom drama when she testifies in her high-profile defamation battle against the star of her directorial debut.

The Pitch Perfect star is being sued by Charlotte MacInnes, the musical comedy’s Australian lead The Deb.

MacInnes claims Wilson defamed her in four social media posts claiming she filed and then withdrew a sexual harassment complaint to further her career.

The dispute arose when the young actor was assisting The Debs co-producer Amanda Ghost after suffering a medical episode on Bondi Beach in September 2023.

She helped the producer back to an apartment they shared with others and eventually innocently shared a bath in their swimsuits to warm up, MacInnes says.

Wilson will take the witness stand at the Federal Court today after flying from the United States with her wife, who will also testify this week.

Hints about what she might say can be found in affidavits from MacInnes presented to the court, which include portions of the elder actor’s own affidavit.

Wilson is expected to testify about her claim that MacInnes confided in her that Ghost had asked her to take a bath and shower together, and that it made her feel uncomfortable.

MacInnes denies making the complaint and claims she later made it clear to Wilson that the situation had been strange, but that she was not uncomfortable with Ghost.

In her statement, Wilson says she heard the producer and the young star say intimate things – often of a sexual nature – to each other, which MacInnes has labeled as untrue.

She also dismissed Wilson’s account that he witnessed Ghost forcing her to have drinks together until the young actor relented.

The Bridesmaids The star falsely portrayed herself as a whistleblower who spoke out to protect MacInnes, when in fact she used the alleged complaint as leverage in a dispute with her co-producers, MacInnes’ lawyer Sue Chrysanthou SC said.

“I was angry because Rebel claimed to be someone who stood up for women… but then so maliciously and dishonestly persisted with a narrative that portrayed me as a liar, prostitute, sellout and whore,” MacInnes wrote in her affidavit.

Instead of checking on the alleged victim of inappropriate behavior, Chrysanthou said Wilson instead shared messages “snubbing” her client.

“This is how this bully, apparently this savior of women, the protector of the troubled, reacts,” she previously told the court.

But Wilson had raised her concerns with others even though she had doubts about the veracity of the alleged complaint, her lawyer Dauid Sibtain SC said in his opening statement.

The central question is not whether MacInnes was a victim, but whether she complained to Wilson and then changed her story, he argued.

“Our case is that … she changed her story,” Sibtain said.

“She did this to ensure that her career as an actress and musician would progress by placating Ms. Ghost.”

Sibtain argued that MacInnes suffered no damage to her reputation at all as a result of the social media posts, contrary to her claims.

It is likely that Wilson will face questions about MacInnes’ claim that she played a role in a hack of her social media account that led to a nude photo being leaked.

The Hollywood star is also expected to be questioned about whether she was involved in creating malicious websites that attacked Ghost and linked to the alleged complaint.

Wilson is accused of directing a PR crisis team to create the websites, but denies any involvement.

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