In a Sydney federal courtroom, a judge has drawn a legal line beneath a dispute that pitted two women's competing truths against each other — one who said she spoke honestly about a harassment complaint, one who said no such complaint was ever made. Justice Elizabeth Raper found that Rebel Wilson's social media posts about co-star Charlotte MacInnes did not meet the threshold of serious harm required to constitute defamation, closing a chapter that had shadowed Wilson's directorial debut. The verdict does not resolve what actually happened between the parties, but it affirms that the law, at l
Judge rules Rebel Wilson did not defame co-star in social media posts
MacInnes experienced anxiety and a period without work following the social media posts, though the court found insufficient evidence of serious harm.
I am known as a truth-teller, and I don't classify it as an attack.
Mark
What made this case so difficult to resolve? It seems like a straightforward he-said-she-said.
Mimi
It wasn't straightforward at all. The core issue was whether Wilson accurately reported what MacInnes had told her in confidence. If MacInnes never complained in the first place, then Wilson lied. If she did complain and then retracted it, Wilson told the truth. The judge had to decide which version was credible.
Mark
And the judge sided with Wilson?
Mimi
Not exactly. The judge didn't necessarily believe Wilson's version of events was true. She found that even if the posts were published, MacInnes couldn't prove they caused serious harm—which is the legal bar for defamation. It's a narrow ruling.
Mark
So MacInnes lost even though the judge might have thought Wilson was lying?
Mimi
Possibly. Defamation law requires both that a statement be false and that it cause serious harm. The judge found the harm threshold wasn't met. MacInnes claimed anxiety and lost work, but the court wasn't convinced that was serious enough.
Mark
What does this mean for Wilson's film?
Mimi
It clears the air. The Deb was supposed to be her passion project, and this legal fight consumed years of her life. Now she can talk about it without this shadow hanging over it. Whether audiences will care about the film after all this drama is another question.
Mark
Did anyone really win here?
Mimi
Legally, Wilson won. But both of them lost years to this fight. The film's reputation was damaged. The working relationship between Wilson and MacInnes is destroyed. That's the real cost.
The Pulse
- A harassment complaint allegedly made — and allegedly retracted — became the spark for social media posts that reached 11 million followers and ignited a years-long legal war.
- MacInnes argued Wilson had branded her a liar who sacrificed her integrity to protect a career, causing anxiety and a stretch of unemployment that upended her professional life.
- Wilson countered that she was simply a truth-teller reporting what she had been told, with no motive to sabotage her own film by turning her lead actor against a key producer.
- The judge found the evidence of serious harm insufficient, ruling in Wilson's favor and leaving the deeper factual dispute — whether any complaint was ever made — legally unresolved.
- Wilson emerges with her directorial ambitions intact, while the contested account of what happened in September 2023 remains a matter of irreconcilable personal truths.
In a Sydney federal courtroom, a judge has drawn a legal line beneath a dispute that pitted two women's competing truths against each other — one who said she spoke honestly about a harassment complaint, one who said no such complaint was ever made. Justice Elizabeth Raper found that Rebel Wilson's social media posts about co-star Charlotte MacInnes did not meet the threshold of serious harm required to constitute defamation, closing a chapter that had shadowed Wilson's directorial debut. The verdict does not resolve what actually happened between the parties, but it affirms that the law, at least, found no defamation in the telling.
A federal judge has ruled that Rebel Wilson did not defame her co-star Charlotte MacInnes in social media posts about a harassment complaint connected to Wilson's directorial debut, The Deb. Justice Elizabeth Raper found that MacInnes failed to prove the posts caused or were likely to cause serious harm — the legal bar required for a defamation finding.
At the heart of the dispute was an alleged complaint by MacInnes about co-producer Amanda Ghost, who MacInnes claimed had asked her to bathe together. Wilson said MacInnes confided this discomfort to her, then later withdrew the complaint. Wilson posted about the matter to her 11 million followers, framing MacInnes as someone who had retracted a legitimate grievance to protect her career. MacInnes denied ever making the complaint, describing the bath — both women in swimwear, following a medical episode Ghost experienced — as entirely innocent.
In court, Wilson cast herself as a truth-teller acting out of honesty rather than malice, while her barrister argued she had no reason to invent a story that would fracture her own production. MacInnes's legal team was unsparing, calling Wilson a fabricator who had rewritten events to suit her own narrative. MacInnes sought aggravated damages, citing anxiety and a period without work, but the judge found the evidence of serious harm fell short.
The verdict frees Wilson to move forward with the creative work she has described as a lifelong ambition. In her statement after the ruling, she spoke of her commitment to standing up for what she believes is right and her gratitude for the legal process. What truly transpired between MacInnes and Ghost remains disputed — but the court has determined that Wilson's account of it was not defamatory.
A federal judge has ruled that Rebel Wilson did not defame her co-star Charlotte MacInnes in a series of social media posts, bringing to a close a years-long legal battle that consumed both women and threatened to overshadow Wilson's directorial debut. Justice Elizabeth Raper delivered the verdict on Wednesday, finding that MacInnes had failed to prove the posts caused or were likely to cause serious harm—the legal threshold required to establish defamation.
The dispute centered on a complaint about conduct by Amanda Ghost, a co-producer on Wilson's film The Deb, Wilson's first time directing. MacInnes, who played the lead role, had allegedly told Wilson that she felt uncomfortable when Ghost asked to bathe together. According to Wilson's account, MacInnes later recanted this complaint. Wilson then posted about the matter to her 11 million social media followers, framing MacInnes as someone who had lied and retracted her complaint to protect her career prospects. MacInnes denied ever making the complaint in the first place, insisting the bath with Ghost—both in swimwear—was innocent and occurred after Ghost experienced a medical episode in September 2023.
During the hearing, Wilson testified that she considered herself a truth-teller and that posting about the matter was an act of honesty, not attack. Her barrister argued she had no motive to fabricate a complaint that would damage her own film by fracturing the relationship between her lead actor and a producer. He instead suggested MacInnes had dishonestly withdrawn an initial complaint to preserve her professional relationship with Ghost, who had helped secure her a stage role and a six-figure record deal. MacInnes's legal team mounted a fierce counterattack, with her barrister describing Wilson as a "fantastical liar" who had made up allegations and revised history to suit her narrative.
MacInnes sought aggravated damages for the harm she said the posts inflicted, citing anxiety and a period of unemployment. But the judge found insufficient evidence that serious harm had occurred. The ruling allows Wilson to move past a chapter that tested her resolve and disrupted what she has called her dream project. In a statement after the verdict, Wilson said the experience had reinforced her commitment to standing up for what she believes is right while continuing to make work that brings joy. She expressed gratitude for the support she received and respect for the Australian legal system that adjudicated the dispute. The question of what actually happened between MacInnes and Ghost, and whether a complaint was ever made or withdrawn, remains contested—but legally, it no longer matters. Wilson's version of events, at least in the eyes of the court, was not defamatory.
Notable Quotes
MacInnes has failed to establish that the publications have caused or were likely to cause serious harm.— Justice Elizabeth Raper
I want to live my life standing up for what I believe is right, while continuing to create work that brings people joy.— Rebel Wilson, in a statement after the verdict
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