Updated ,first published
Hollywood star Rebel Wilson admonished a young actor for being “terribly rude” in text messages revealed during a high-stakes defamation fight between the pair that has raked over an incident involving a bath at a Bondi penthouse.
Charlotte MacInnes, who plays the lead role in Australian musical film The Deb, directed, co-produced and acted in by Wilson, is suing the Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids actor for defamation over a series of social media posts.
At the centre of the trial is a claim by Wilson that MacInnes complained to her that a producer of The Deb, Amanda Ghost, made her feel uncomfortable during the bath incident in 2023, but later “changed her story” to secure future career opportunities with Ghost.
MacInnes gave evidence on Thursday that she “never made a complaint” to Wilson and “didn’t walk back anything”. She is seeking damages for defamation for Wilson’s claim that she lied in recanting the alleged complaint to advance her career.
Text messages shown in court on Thursday reveal some tension in May 2023 between the two performers at the start of their working relationship.
The court heard Wilson had secured a ticket for MacInnes to watch the production Oklahoma! on London’s West End with her and cast mates, but MacInnes texted Wilson after the event to offer “huge apologies” because she “lost track of time”. MacInnes said she had “[ended] up eating with Amanda” Ghost, who has emerged as a central figure in the defamation case, and Ghost’s assistant Pia Ashcroft.
‘Not a great start’
“Hi Charlotte. I appreciate the apology. In the future, it is terribly rude to say you wanted a ticket to a show and then you don’t reply or follow up,” Wilson replied. “It’s not a great start to our working relationship.”
MacInnes responded: “Completely understand. Again, hugely sorry for my poor communication. I’d love to send you the money for the ticket as you stuck to your word and got an available ticket.”
Wilson’s barrister, Dauid Sibtain, SC, put to MacInnes that she was “quite happy to effectively ditch your other co-lead actresses and the director [Wilson] for the possibility of another one-on-one meeting with Ms Ghost”. MacInnes disagreed.
The lawsuit
More than two years later, in September 2025, MacInnes launched a Federal Court defamation suit against Wilson over a series of four Instagram stories, posted between September 2024 and July last year, that made claims about the young star and Ghost.
Wilson alleged in one of the stories that MacInnes made “a complaint to me as director” that Ghost “asked her to have a bath and shower with her and it made her feel uncomfortable”. MacInnes denies that conversation happened. Neither woman was named in that story, but surrounding posts contained identifying information.
At the time of the alleged complaint in September 2023, MacInnes was living with Ghost and the producer’s assistant at a rented Bondi penthouse apartment during rehearsals for The Deb.
MacInnes is not suing for defamation over Wilson’s allegation that she made a complaint, but the further allegation by Wilson that the rising star recanted the alleged complaint in return for further career opportunities allegedly set up by Ghost, namely a lead role in a stage production and a record label.
The bath incident
MacInnes gave evidence on Thursday that the incident involving the bath, on September 5, 2023, was a medical episode. Ghost had a reaction to the cold after swimming with MacInnes at Bondi Beach, and MacInnes assisted the producer to warm up, she said. At one stage both women, wearing their swimmers, shared a bath.
Sibtain put to MacInnes that it was a “pretty regular-sized bath”, and tendered a photo of the bathroom in the Campbell Parade penthouse.
“I’d describe it as a large bath,” MacInnes said.
MacInnes agreed under questioning by Sibtain that she ran a bath for Ghost to warm up, but said she got in first rather than Ghost. She denied Ghost invited her to get in the bath.
MacInnes’ barrister, Sue Chrysanthou, SC, alleged in her opening address to the court that Wilson “was not a whistleblower … seeking to protect a young actress” and had only claimed when it “suited” her that MacInnes was “a victim”.
Wilson has denied making the claims to further her commercial interests amid a welter of legal disputes with the film’s co-producers, including Ghost.
‘Strange’ or ‘bizarre’ situation
MacInnes rejected Sibtain’s suggestion on Thursday that she told Wilson on September 6, 2023, the day after the Bondi incident: “Amanda asked me to have a bath and a shower with her and it made me feel uncomfortable.”
“I never said those words. I never made a complaint to Ms Wilson,” she said.
But she agreed they had spoken that day, and the next day Wilson called her in her capacity as director to check in with her. MacInnes agreed that in the call she told Wilson something like the situation was “strange” or “bizarre”.
“I don’t recall saying those words specifically, but I may have,” MacInnes said.
Asked if she had also told Wilson she had not felt “personally uncomfortable”, MacInnes said: “I don’t recall.”
She said she “didn’t walk back anything” and had not made a complaint.
Wilson texted Ghost on September 7: “Charlotte says all good. She just meant ‘it was a bizarre situation’ not that she personally felt uncomfortable x.”
MacInnes agreed with Sibtain’s suggestion that she was “very distressed about the fact that Amanda was keeping her distance” from her after the incident. She had been asked to move out of the penthouse.
On September 20, MacInnes had a conversation with Ghost. She agreed with Sibtain’s suggestion that she felt she had “better clear the air” with the producer, or she might have “some real problems”.
“I knew it was important that she knew I never made a complaint,” MacInnes said.
Career opportunities
MacInnes was questioned at length by Sibtain about the circumstances in which she got a record deal with Atlantic Records and a lead role in the stage production Gatsby: An American Myth, co-produced by Ghost.
Sibtain put to MacInnes that Ghost had provided her with “quite a lot of help … to get through the audition process” for Gatsby.
“I agree that it was a lot of help,” MacInnes said, after Justice Elizabeth Raper asked her to answer the question directly.
Sibtain took MacInnes to information Ghost sent MacInnes that was described as “super confidential”: the audition tape of an actor who didn’t get the role.
“She was encouraging you to be more dramatic,” Sibtain said.
“Yes,” MacInnes said.
She agreed that, in another message, Ghost was encouraging her to audition for the role even though she would be up against the world’s best performers.
“Everything has come up trumps for you, Ms MacInnes, over the last three years,” Sibtain said.
“I’ve worked very hard,” MacInnes said.
‘We know you talk to Amanda’
MacInnes was also taken to a note she made on her phone of a meeting with Wilson and Greer Simpkin, another producer of the film, during production of The Deb.
MacInnes wrote in the note that Simpkin said to her: “We know you talk to Amanda all the time.
“There are protocols that you haven’t followed. Maybe it’s just ’cause it’s your first movie.
“She told me you were [unhappy] … with the make-up. But the actions you took almost got a lot of crew fired.”
She wrote that Wilson added: “Yeah lots.”
MacInnes said she did not know what Simpkin meant when she mentioned the crew. She said she had not complained about her make-up, but had asked on one occasion if it could be redone.
Her voice shook with emotion briefly during questioning about the meeting, but she told the court she did not need a break.
MacInnes was asked later about the opening song from The Deb, FML (F— my Life).
“I don’t require it to be played in court, but I embrace its sentiment,” Sibtain said.
“I can sing along,” Chrysanthou said.
MacInnes denied she had a “good and friendly relationship” with Wilson throughout the shoot.
She said she did what she could to keep the relationship lighthearted but “it’s very difficult to be around Rebel”.
Wilson, who is seeking to rely on a truth defence, is expected to give evidence next week while Ghost is slated to appear on Friday.
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