Rebel Wilson has been cleared of defaming a young Australian actress, with a Sydney court finding that Charlotte MacInnes had not been defamed by the Instagram posts at the centre of the dispute. Wilson was accused of harming MacInnes's reputation in posts made in 2024 and 2025, but Justice Elizabeth Raper dismissed the case on Wednesday and ordered MacInnes to pay Wilson's costs.
MacInnes, who starred in Wilson's film The Deb, sued the Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect actress after Wilson accused her of retracting a complaint of sexual harassment against a film producer so she could further her career. MacInnes denied that claim.
What was the case about?
The case centred on an incident in September 2023, when MacInnes went for a swim at Bondi Beach with Amanda Ghost, one of the producers of Wilson's film. Ghost had an allergic reaction to the cold water, and the pair returned to the producer's luxury apartment that she rented.
Ghost had a shower while MacInnes ran a bath for her. The young actress then got into the bath to warm up, with Ghost joining her shortly afterwards. Both women were wearing swimsuits.
In handing down her decision, Raper commented on the unusual circumstances of the bath incident.
"To say that the circumstance surrounding how they came to be in the bath are unusual would be an understatement,"
Raper also found that MacInnes had failed to establish that the posts had caused, or were likely to cause, serious harm.
What did Rebel Wilson say after the ruling?
Wilson posted on Instagram moments after the decision, saying the "process has taught me a lot".
"It has tested me, but it has also reinforced something I've always believed. I want to live my life standing up for what I believe is right, while continuing to create work that brings people joy."
Wilson thanked her supporters and said she was "grateful this chapter has reached its conclusion". She also thanked the judge in her case and "the Australian legal system who I have the utmost respect for".
The BBC has contacted MacInnes for comment.
What was said during the trial?
During the three-week trial earlier this year, Wilson said MacInnes told her the day after the bath incident,
"Amanda asked me to have a bath and shower with her and it made me feel uncomfortable". Wilson later called MacInnes again to ask about the bath incident because she was concerned about it.
After that call, Wilson sent Ghost a text, which was shown to the court, that read:
"Charlotte says all good. She just meant 'it was a bizarre situation' not that she felt personally uncomfortable."
Earlier, lawyers for MacInnes said Wilson's allegations were "malicious concoctions". The court also heard claims that the Hollywood star had ordered a smear website to target Ghost, which Wilson denied.
Wilson's lawyer argued that MacInnes, who graduated from acting school in Western Australia in 2021, had not been harmed by the posts and pointed to a recent record deal she had signed.
What happens next?
The case is now over after Justice Raper dismissed the defamation claim and ordered MacInnes to pay Wilson's costs. The BBC has contacted MacInnes for comment.
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