Rebel Wilson In Legal Dramas Again Over Defamation Claims On New Film

Rebel Wilson is again navigating high stakes legal battles, this time over claims connected to her directorial debut, The Deb.

What began as a celebration of an all Australian musical comedy has turned into a bitter public spat with the Australian star.

The latest development centres on Charlotte MacInnes, the lead actor in The Deb, who has issued a formal concerns notice alleging Wilson made false and damaging statements about her.

Rebel Wilson v Charlotte MacInnes

MacInnes has “categorically denied” that she was subjected to unwanted advances on set, telling media that “there is no truth to the allegations made involving me.”

“Making false accusations undermines real victims and I won’t be the subject of a fabricated narrative,” she said.

The notice claims Wilson’s Instagram posts carried “seriously defamatory imputations damaging to Ms MacInnes’ personal and professional reputation” and that, “This was (Charlotte Macinnes’) first lead role in a film and you cruelled her professional reputation before she could even enjoy the benefit of the success of the film as the lead actor.”

The legal document seeks damages, both general and aggravated, plus costs and a permanent injunction. It also accuses Wilson of disclosing MacInnes’ name publicly as an alleged harassment victim “without her consent” before accusing her of lying.

How the Conflict Escalated

MacInnes was cast in February 2023, with filming starting that October. The notice outlines that in July 2024, Wilson posted a video to her Instagram saying “I reported, I guess you would say, their [the co-producers] bad behaviour when I found out. Not minor things, big things, you know, inappropriate behaviour towards the lead actor of the film … so kind of really important things.”

In September 2024, after MacInnes was cast as Daisy in Florence Welch’s stage musical Gatsby: An American Myth, Wilson allegedly posted Instagram stories stating:

“When an actor on her first feature film is asked by a producer to stay in the same apartment as them, and then makes a complaint to me as the director saying said producer ‘asked her to have a bath and shower with her and it made her feel uncomfortable’  what am I supposed to do of course I reported it.”

“There is no world where this is acceptable. The fact that this girl has been employed now by this ‘producer’ in the lead role of a production called GATSBY (ART Boston) and given a record label – should be all the proof you need as to why she has now changed her story.”

Further alleged comments in May 2025 accused MacInnes of being “in a culturally inappropriate Indian outfit” when she allegedly wrote “Charlotte MacInnes in a culturally inappropriate Indian outfit on Len Blavatnik’s luxury yacht in Cannes – ironically singing a song from a movie that will never get released because of her lies and support for the people blocking the film’s release.”

“So glad you got your record deal Charlotte at the expense of the 300 people who worked on The Deb and really wanna see it released.”

Producers of The Deb, including A.I. Film,have launched their own legal action, claiming Wilson blocked the film’s release and made “false and derogatory statements.” Wilson calls these claims “baseless” and insists she has worked “tirelessly” to get the film seen.

“So apparently, I’m being sued in Australia?” she wrote online.

“It makes no sense. As the director, producer and co-star who nurtured a project called The Deb for five years from a three page idea into a gorgeous feature film, I want nothing more than to have this film released, and have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to get this to happen.”

“To say otherwise is complete nonsense. I’m so proud of the film!”.

“Many Australians worked so hard on this film, and it’s imperative the movie is released!”

“The first song of the film is called F**k My Life. I’m going to release it now, because if these f**kwits aren’t going to release the movie, I may as well.”

Wilson claimed in July 2024 that producers of The Deb were blocking the release of the film due to her allegations.

Wilson’s disputes over The Deb follow her previous legal battles in Australia. She made headlines after the Sydney Morning Herald contacted her in 2022 for comment about her relationship with fashion designer Ramona Agruma, effectively planning to out her. Wilson launched legal action against Bauer Media over the comments and was award a record payout of $4.7m in damages from the publisher. However this was later reduced to $600,000 with Wilson being ordered to repay the money.

Wilson and Agruma legally married in Sydney in December 2024, months after a romantic Italian ceremony, and are now raising their daughter Royce together in America where they reside.