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Hollywood star Rebel Wilson has won a defamation case brought against her by Charlotte MacInnes, the lead actor in Wilson's directorial debut film The Deb. Justice Elizabeth Raper of the Federal Court dismissed the case on Wednesday, ruling that MacInnes had failed to establish that Wilson's social media posts caused or were likely to cause serious harm to her reputation. MacInnes's lawyers have said they plan to appeal the decision.

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The ruling, delivered in Sydney, ends a legal dispute that stemmed from posts Wilson shared on her personal and the film's social media accounts from July 2024. MacInnes, 27, claimed those posts suggested she had walked back an account of sexual harassment at work in order to secure more acting roles — an allegation she denied.

Justice Raper found that while one post did convey an imputation about MacInnes, it was not defamatory. She also found that MacInnes had made the complaint in question, according to reports. The judge ordered MacInnes to pay Wilson's costs.

In a statement posted on Instagram moments after the decision, Wilson said the process had "tested me, but it has also reinforced something I've always believed." She added, "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," also thanking the judge and "the Australian legal system who I have the utmost respect for."

Key claims

  • MacInnes sued Wilson for defamation over a series of social media posts that she argued damaged her reputation.
  • The posts, shared from July 2024, suggested MacInnes walked back an account of sexual harassment at work to further her career.
  • Wilson denied defaming MacInnes, arguing the imputations conveyed by the posts were substantially true.
  • Justice Elizabeth Raper found in favour of Wilson, ruling that MacInnes had not established serious harm.
  • MacInnes's lawyers are planning to appeal the decision.
During the trial, the court heard about the incident that gave rise to the posts: in September 2023, MacInnes and the film's producer Amanda Ghost went for a swim at Bondi Beach. After Ghost had an allergic reaction to the cold water, the pair returned to Ghost's apartment, where Ghost showered while MacInnes ran a bath. Both women, wearing swimsuits, then got into the bath together. MacInnes denied making or retracting a complaint about the incident.

Justice Raper remarked on the circumstances of the bath incident, saying, "To say that the circumstance surrounding how they came to be in the bath are unusual would be an understatement."

The case was one of several legal battles Wilson has faced in connection with The Deb. Producers of the film are currently pursuing her in a UK court, a US court and the NSW Supreme Court, according to reports. The film was released in Australia in April after delays, with a US release scheduled for August.

MacInnes's barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, had accused Wilson of being "a fantastical liar" during closing arguments, and said Wilson "cannot be believed on anything she has said." Wilson denied fabricating the complaint or raising it for leverage during disputes with co-producers over the film's budget and writing credit, telling the court, "I am known as a truth-teller."

Stewart O'Connell, senior defamation lawyer at O'Brien Criminal and Civil Solicitors, said the planned appeal was not surprising, noting that the judge's decisions on common points "are often open to arguments about whether the judge's interpretation was correct or not."

MacInnes, a 28-year-old acting school graduate from Western Australia, had sought general and aggravated damages, as well as damages for breach of confidence. The BBC has contacted MacInnes for comment.