Australian actress Rebel Wilson is facing a defamation lawsuit filed by Charlotte MacInnes, the lead actress in Wilson’s directorial debut “The Deb”.
The trial, which began on April 20, 2026, in Sydney’s Federal Court, is expected to last nine days.
MacInnes alleges that Wilson made false and damaging claims about her on Instagram, suggesting she was sexually harassed by a producer but later recanted her story to advance her career.
Wilson, who directed, co-produced, and starred in “The Deb”, denies the allegations and claims she was acting as a whistleblower.
The court has heard that Wilson’s posts implied MacInnes lied about the harassment, damaging her reputation and credibility.
MacInnes’s lawyer, Sue Chrysanthou, described Wilson’s actions as “bullying” and argued that the posts were made without verifying the facts.
Wilson’s defense maintains that MacInnes did complain about feeling uncomfortable around the producer, Amanda Ghost, and that she was acting in good faith. The trial is being streamed live on the Federal Court’s YouTube channel.