Rebel Wilson Denies Bullying Allegations in Court
Hollywood actress Rebel Wilson has dismissed accusations that she bullied women on the set of her film as
"absolute nonsense". She provided testimony for the first time in a high-profile defamation lawsuit against her in Sydney.
Wilson, known for her role in Bridesmaids, faces legal action from Australian actress Charlotte MacInnes, who stars in Wilson's directorial debut, The Deb. The lawsuit concerns a series of Instagram posts made in 2024 and 2025.
MacInnes alleges Wilson damaged her reputation by labeling her a liar after MacInnes reportedly complained about sexual harassment by producer Amanda Ghost, only to later retract the claim to advance her career. MacInnes denies ever making such a complaint.
Wilson's Courtroom Testimony and Cross-Examination
During Tuesday's proceedings, prosecutors questioned Wilson on whether she considered herself a
"champion of women", to which she affirmed.
The courtroom was filled with journalists, supporters, and witnesses, including Amanda Ghost. Sue Chrysanthou SC, representing MacInnes, conducted a rigorous cross-examination, creating a tense atmosphere as she began questioning Wilson.
Chrysanthou confronted Wilson about her criticisms of women involved in The Deb, accusing her of mistreatment toward MacInnes, Ghost, and a female writer, despite Wilson's claim to championing women.
Wilson responded firmly,
"That's absolute nonsense."
She also rejected the notion that making negative public statements about women on social media constituted mistreatment, asserting such statements were
"truthful".
Throughout the questioning, Wilson frequently stated she could not recall specific details and denied involvement with websites that allegedly spread rumors about Ghost and MacInnes.
Wilson was unable to remember the 2018 backlash following her comments about being the
"first ever plus-sized girl"to star in a romantic comedy when this was raised by Chrysanthou.
Incident at Bondi Beach and Disputed Accounts
The defamation case centers on an incident from September 2023, when MacInnes and Ghost went for a late afternoon swim at Bondi Beach.
Ghost experienced an allergic reaction to the cold water, known as cold urticaria, resulting in red welts and uncontrollable shaking, as detailed in court last week.
They returned quickly to Ghost's beachside apartment, where MacInnes ran a hot bath for Ghost, who had already begun warming up in the shower.
MacInnes entered the bath first to warm herself, followed by Ghost; both were wearing swimsuits.
Ghost's assistant brought hot drinks, and the three briefly conversed in the bathroom.
Wilson discussed the incident with MacInnes, though the parties disagree on the conversation's content. Wilson claims MacInnes said the bath incident made her feel
"uncomfortable", whereas MacInnes denies this, describing the situation only as
"weird"or
"strange and bizarre".
Last week, MacInnes testified that Wilson had
"mischaracterised and exploited"an
"innocent incident", and that their relationship deteriorated during filming of The Deb following the bath incident.
Text messages shown in court revealed Wilson informing Ghost that MacInnes had
"zero issues"with the incident.
Wilson wrote to Ghost,
"Charlotte says all good. She just meant 'it was a bizarre situation' not that she personally felt uncomfortable."
Claims on Career Impact and Additional Allegations
Wilson's legal team argued last week that MacInnes's career was not harmed by the social media posts; rather, it had prospered, citing her record deal with Atlantic and a role in a US theatre production produced by Ghost.
MacInnes seeks aggravated damages and an injunction to prevent Wilson from repeating the claims online.
Prosecutors also alleged Wilson instructed a US public relations firm to create websites portraying Ghost as an
"Indian Ghislaine Maxwell". Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for grooming and trafficking underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein.
Another issue raised involved the leak of a nude photo of MacInnes after her social media accounts were hacked.
Wilson is expected to continue her testimony on Wednesday.
