Rebel Wilson defamation trial begins in Sydney court

MacInnes is suing Wilson over four social media posts she alleges defamed her by suggesting she lied about the complaint. MacInnes' lawyers say she did not make a complaint to Wilson as alleged, and that Wilson defamed her by suggesting she lied to advance her career. MacInnes began legal proceedings after Instagram posts by Wilson accusing her of complaining about unwanted sexual advances by Ghost and then lying about it to get a record contract. MacInnes denies the sexual assault occurred, that she complained about it to Wilson, and that she retracted it in return for another lead role and the record deal.

The central factual dispute revolves around a conversation between Wilson and MacInnes in a studio in September 2023. According to Wilson's barrister, Wilson says concerns about sexual harassment were raised, but MacInnes denies saying anything of the sort. The conversation took place a day after MacInnes and Ghost swam together at Bondi beach. According to MacInnes' barrister, Ghost suffered cold urticaria after the swim, leaving her in red welts and shaking uncontrollably. Another woman brought hot drinks, and the trio spoke while MacInnes and Ghost stayed in the bath. Court proceedings indicate Wilson spoke with them via speaker phone during the bath. MacInnes' barrister said the bath was so large that the two women were not touching each other. MacInnes and Ghost joked about the bath via text messages the next day, with MacInnes sharing a picture and commenting 'Beginning of the end', according to MacInnes' barrister. MacInnes was not at all concerned about the bath or her interactions with Ghost, MacInnes' barrister said. The following day, cast and crew members were told about the swim and bath. MacInnes emphatically denied giving false statements about the bath incident. Ghost's friend Carmen Pavlovic recounted Ghost's medical episode at Bondi beach and the shared bath. MacInnes said she ran a shower for Ghost before she and another woman suggested a bath would warm her up more efficiently. Wilson's barrister noted MacInnes did not mention sharing the bath in her statement, something she has since acknowledged. MacInnes maintains she did not tell Wilson that Ghost asked her to shower and bathe with her and that it made her uncomfortable.

Wilson and MacInnes then had a conversation on a couch at the studio, according to multiple reports. Wilson's barrister said Wilson was told by MacInnes that she was concerned about Ghost's behaviour. Wilson also alleged MacInnes later changed her story and implied she recanted in return for career opportunities with Ghost. According to court proceedings, Rebel Wilson has been accused in court of hiring a private investigator and having false information published online to paint Charlotte MacInnes as a 'money grabbing opportunist'. Wilson's lawyers insist the harassment complaint was withdrawn when MacInnes decided to support the woman who had allegedly harassed her.

According to court proceedings, malicious smear websites created by a crisis PR firm attacked Ghost and alleged she was a sex trafficker. Wilson is accused of ordering The Agency Group to publish the websites but has denied involvement. According to evidence from Katie Case, Wilson became a client of the crisis management team in July 2024, months after MacInnes allegedly made the complaint. According to texts between PR agency staff, texts between agency staff referred to Wilson as 'fucking nuts'. According to court documents, Case was told by her boss Melissa Nathan in August that Wilson wanted one of 'those sites' created, with instructions to make it 'really really harsh … making her a madam basically lol'. Case understood she was asked to draft copy for a take-down website to be used as a tool in litigation. Case was provided a 'fully drafted' word document for the website, which she edited; metadata revealed it was created under the name of Wilson's company. According to multiple reports, Case had never met or spoken to Wilson. Wilson's barrister said the websites are a distraction and not about the critical issue of whether MacInnes made a complaint.

According to Wilson's lawyers, Wilson accused her film co-producers of forcing a young actor to submit to 'depraved sexual demands' in a legal letter. The letter described Wilson as 'exceptionally accomplished' and 'Australia's biggest female comedy export'. According to multiple reports, The Deb's producers comprised Wilson's company Camp Sugar, and AI Film and its sister company Unigram owned by Ghost and her husband Gregor Cameron. According to multiple reports, texts between Wilson and Ghost showed a positive relationship before the alleged harassment incident on September 5, 2023. According to Wilson's legal letter, Wilson accused Ghost and Cameron of swiping $900,000 from The Deb's budget and 'commandeering coercive and physical control of [MacInnes] for their vile purposes'.

According to multiple reports, MacInnes felt she had her big break when cast in The Deb. MacInnes said she was deeply distressed when Ghost stopped speaking to her after Wilson relayed the alleged complaint. MacInnes agreed Ghost had given her a lot of help, including feedback and networking opportunities. MacInnes said she felt her dreams were coming true when performing on super yachts and flying in private jets, partly thanks to Ghost. According to texts disclosed to court, MacInnes prioritised meeting with Ghost over attending a theatre production with Wilson in May 2023. According to The Guardian, MacInnes texted Wilson an apology for missing the show, and Wilson replied it was 'terribly rude'.

MacInnes' boyfriend Carlo Boumouglbay said in an affidavit that MacInnes became 'fearful' after Wilson's posts because she thought Wilson was monitoring her. MacInnes told the court she feels 'numb' reading abusive comments from strangers on social media amid the court fight. MacInnes called the bath incident 'an innocent incident that Ms Wilson has exploited and mischaracterised ever since'. MacInnes told the court: 'I never made a complaint to Ms Wilson'. The trial continues, with the court yet to determine whether the conversation on the studio couch occurred as Wilson claims or as MacInnes denies.