Rebel Wilson’s PR Team Labelled Her as “F*****g Nuts” Over Alleged Smear of ‘The Deb’ Producer
Rebel Wilson is under scrutiny as she faces a defamation lawsuit filed by Charlotte MacInnes, an actress from her directorial debut The Deb. The lawsuit centers on allegations made by Wilson in a series of Instagram posts, where she claimed that MacInnes expressed discomfort after sharing a bath with producer Amanda Ghost in 2023.
The case is being heard in the Federal Court of Australia in Sydney. MacInnes’s legal team has accused Wilson of enlisting the services of American publicist Melissa Nathan to orchestrate a smear campaign against Ghost. Wilson has firmly denied these accusations, stating in a U.S. court last year that she had no involvement in the creation or dissemination of any disparaging online content.
Among the allegations is the existence of a website, amandaghostsucks.com, which purportedly insinuated that an unnamed actress had been compensated for remaining silent about abuse supposedly inflicted by Ghost. MacInnes’s barrister, Sue Chrysanthou, characterized this claim as a “malignant allegation,” which MacInnes has denied.
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The case has unveiled communications related to the It Ends with Us dispute involving Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, where Nathan reportedly conveyed Wilson’s desire for a “really harsh” website targeting Ghost. Witness Katie Case, who testified via video link on Tuesday, stated that she received a “fully drafted” proposal for the site, but was unaware of its authorship.
While metadata linked the document to Camp Sugar, Wilson’s production company, Case conceded that this did not confirm Wilson’s authorship, claiming to have never met her. Evidence presented in court also revealed that staff at TAG referred to Wilson disparagingly, using the phrase “f*****g nuts,” as reported by the Australian Associated Press.
Wilson’s barrister, Dauid Sibtain, argued that the websites represent a “distraction” from the core issue of whether MacInnes actually lodged a complaint with Wilson.
The controversy stems from a September 2023 incident in which Ghost and MacInnes shared a bath at a Sydney apartment after swimming at Bondi Beach. Chrysanthou informed the court that Ghost experienced cold urticaria, a condition causing allergic reactions to cold, which prompted MacInnes to help her back to the apartment for warmth.
Wilson has claimed that MacInnes later expressed discomfort about the incident but subsequently retracted her complaint after receiving professional benefits from Ghost. MacInnes has refuted this and is pursuing the lawsuit based on four Instagram posts, one of which accused her of altering her narrative following a casting by Ghost in a Gatsby stage production and securing a record deal. Chrysanthou described Wilson’s actions as bullying, asserting that she disparaged MacInnes online.
The trial remains ongoing, overseen by Justice Elizabeth Raper.
