Rebel Wilson Faces Criticism Over Tensions with ‘The Deb’ Co-Star Charlotte MacInnes
Rebel Wilson is currently embroiled in a defamation lawsuit brought against her by actress Charlotte MacInnes, who alleges that Wilson’s accusations of misconduct have made her life “nightmarish.” The allegations came in the context of Wilson’s directorial debut, The Deb.
The case is taking place in a federal court in Sydney, where details from the production of The Deb have been revealed during a trial expected to last nine days. MacInnes began her testimony on Wednesday, though it was cut short due to the court’s adjournment for the day.
Witnesses close to MacInnes have spoken about the toll Wilson’s social media activity and other actions have had on her mental and emotional well-being.
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Wilson contends that MacInnes initially felt discomfort due to the behavior of The Deb producer Amanda Ghost, specifically after a shared bath in 2023. She further claims that MacInnes retracted her complaints after receiving career opportunities from Ghost, a claim that MacInnes vehemently denies.
Hannah Reilly, co-writer of The Deb, testified that MacInnes described the situation as an “all-consuming nightmarish force” in her life and noted that these experiences have left her feeling “hardened,” according to an affidavit reviewed by the Australian Associated Press.
In an affidavit, Carlo Boumouglbay, MacInnes’ boyfriend, stated that Wilson’s actions have “deeply wounded” her. He described MacInnes as feeling constantly scrutinized, writing, “She was also fearful because she thought Rebel was monitoring her at all times. Rebel’s posts were really getting to her and breaking her down.”
Boumouglbay expressed concerns about MacInnes’s feelings of being monitored by Wilson and suggested that she feared misinformation might be circulating about her, as stated in his affidavit reviewed by NewsWire.
The court also heard that MacInnes signed a lucrative record deal worth $110,000 with Atlantic Records in late 2025, a company associated with Warner Music Group and backed by Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries. Amanda Ghost serves as chair of Access-owned AI Film.
Shoshanna Stone, MacInnes’ manager, informed the court that her decision to sign MacInnes was influenced by Ghost’s recommendation, dismissing suggestions that MacInnes’s forthcoming single release was strategically timed to coincide with the trial.
Meanwhile, Dauid Sibtain, representing Wilson, argued that MacInnes has not sustained any career damage since Wilson’s social media comments in September 2024.
The ongoing legal conflict not only centers on the accusations but also casts a shadow over the film The Deb, which tells a feel-good story about teens attending a debutante ball. Despite its recent release in Australia, the film currently lacks a distributor in the United States.
The trial is being presided over by Justice Elizabeth Raper and continues to unfold in court.
