Rebel Wilson appears in court in defamation case

Actress Rebel Wilson has appeared in court in Sydney at the start of a defamation case brought by Charlotte MacInnes, the lead actor in Wilson's directorial debut The Deb.

MacInnes alleges that Wilson falsely suggested in a series of Instagram posts that she had privately told her she was sexually harassed by one of the film’s producers.

Court filings also allege Wilson did not seek verification from MacInnes before making the claims, despite knowing that no complaint had been made.

Wilson denies the claim, though details of her legal defence have not yet been made public.

MacInnes is seeking aggravated damages as well as an order preventing Wilson from repeating the allegations online or elsewhere.

The case centres on social media posts made in July 2024, when Wilson also alleged that executive producer Vince Holden, along with producers Amanda Ghost and Gregor Cameron, tried to block the premiere of The Deb in retaliation for concerns she had raised about alleged misconduct.

Separate legal proceedings linked to the film have also been reported in the United States and in New South Wales.

The Deb , which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2024, has faced delays to its Australian cinema release amid the legal dispute.

Speaking to reporters outside court on Monday, Wilson said: "I love The Deb, I mean, it’s so cute and amazing.

Thank you to everyone who’s going to the cinemas."
The hearing is expected to last nine days.