Rebel Wilson cleared in defamation case brought by actress in her own film

Rebel Wilson has been cleared of accusations that she defamed a young Australian actress, a Sydney court has found.

Charlotte MacInnes, who starred in Wilson's film The Deb, sued the Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect actress for harming her reputation, over Instagram posts Wilson made in 2024 and 2025.

In the posts, Wilson accused MacInnes of retracting her complaint of sexual harassment against a film producer so she could further her career - a claim MacInnes denied.

In court on Wednesday, Justice Elizabeth Raper dismissed the case, saying the imputation that MacInnes had changed her story about the incident was not defamatory. The judge ordered MacInnes to pay Wilson's costs.

How did the case come about?

The case centres around an incident involving MacInnes and one of the producers of Wilson's film, Amanda Ghost.

In September 2023, MacInnes and Ghost went for a swim at Bondi Beach where Ghost had an allergic reaction to the cold water, prompting the pair to return to the producer's luxury apartment that she rented.

Ghost had a shower while MacInnes ran a bath for her. The young actress got into the bath to warm up with Ghost joining her shortly after. Both were wearing swimsuits.

Ghost's assistant brought hot drinks for the two women while they were in the bath and sat with them briefly.

The court heard that Wilson later spoke to MacInnes about the incident and while both sides acknowledge the conversation happened, the content of the chat remains in dispute.

Wilson says MacInnes told her the bath incident had made her feel "uncomfortable" but MacInnes denies she said this, and only described the situation as "weird" or "strange and bizarre".

MacInnes had earlier in April told the court that Wilson had "mischaracterised and exploited" an "innocent incident" and her relationship with Wilson deteriorated during filming of The Deb in the months after the bath incident.

Lawyers for MacInnes said Wilson's allegations were "malicious concoctions" and the court heard claims the Hollywood star had ordered a smear website to target Ghost, which Wilson denied.

But Wilson's lawyer argued that MacInnes - who graduated from acting school in Western Australia in 2021 - had not been harmed by the posts, pointing to a recent record deal that she had signed.

In handing down her decision, Justice Raper remarked on the bath incident.

"To say that the circumstance surrounding how they came to be in the bath are unusual would be an understatement," she told the court.

Raper also found that MacInnes had failed to establish the posts had caused or were likely to serious harm.

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".