Actress Rebel Wilson has been dubbed a “fantastical liar” in closing arguments in a dramatic defamation case in Australia that has been dogged by troubles in her film career, The Deb. The case is being heard in the Federal Court in Sydney, and involves the actress Charlotte MacInnes, who has sued Wilson for defamation in a series of social media posts and public comments
A sexual harassment claim made and retracted by the actress against one of the film’s producers would be one of the biggest scandals to ever rock the film industry, MacInnes says. Wilson has been strident in her rebuttal and has stated they were honest in the conflict. Her lawyer said that the actress did not have to make up any claims and that she was “a truth teller”.
But at the final submissions, MacInnes’ barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, gave a strong cross-examination of Wilson’s credibility. Wilson’s lawyer charged him with fabricating events and adding damaging allegations for several individuals involved with The Deb. According to court reports, Chrysanthou told the judge Wilson’s own witnesses had contradicted key parts of her evidence.
The controversy is rooted in an alleged incident with film producer Amanda Ghost in 2023. MacInnes admitted that she had a medical incident at Bondi Beach, and that she felt uneasy after sharing a shower and bath with Wilson after the incident. MacInnes denies having ever complained of any such thing and says there was no inappropriate behaviour during the incident.
In the court proceedings, Greer Simpkin, the producer, apparently challenged Wilson’s timeline, stating that she had not heard of any complaint that might have been brewed until a later discussion with Ghost.
Chrysanthou said that this “revision of history” hurt Wilson’s credibility: “The attitude of this contradicts itself and shows a complete revision of history.”
MacInnes’ lawyers also contended that the actress experienced significant damage to her reputation due to the controversy, which they argued was detrimental to her acting career and hindered her ability to find more work.
Those allegations have been denied by Wilson’s lawyers, who challenged MacInnes’ version of events, saying some were untrustworthy. Wilson also pleaded not guilty to separate charges of leaking a nude photo related to the feud.
The release of The Deb, Wilson’s directorial debut, was marred by multiple legal wrangles and public allegations of feuds between cast members and producers and was lost in the midst of the legal wrangling.
Justice Elizabeth Raper has postponed her verdict, and an eventual judgment in the closely-watched case will likely come later.
