Rebel Wilson has spoken publicly after a Federal Court judge found she did not defame her former The Deb co-star Charlotte MacInnes.
Australian actor Charlotte MacInnes had taken legal action over several social media posts from Wilson, arguing they suggested she had withdrawn a sexual harassment complaint against a film producer in order to advance her career.
MacInnes sought both general and aggravated damages, claiming the posts harmed her reputation.
Wilson’s The Deb co-star disputed that version of events, saying she neither made nor withdrew any complaint and maintained she was comfortable sharing a shower and bath with producer and financier Amanda Ghost.
The matter related to an incident at Bondi Beach in 2023. During proceedings, Ghost told the court she experienced a severe skin reaction after swimming in the cold ocean.
MacInnes said she got into the bath with Ghost simply to warm up, adding that both women remained in swimwear.
Wilson, however, said her co-star told her the following day that the interaction had made her uncomfortable, something MacInnes denied.
Justice Elizabeth Raper ultimately ruled in Wilson’s favour on July 22, 2026, finding that MacInnes had not “establish that the publications have caused or were likely to cause serious harm”. The court also ordered MacInnes to pay Wilson’s legal costs.
After the judgment, Wilson addressed the outcome on Instagram:
“This process has taught me a lot. It has tested me, but it has also reinforced something I’ve always believed. I want to live my life standing up for what I believe is right, while continuing to create work that brings people joy.
“I’m incredibly proud that I have continued making films, including my second film as director, GIRL GROUP, that is also pure fun and joy. And in MAJOR news it will co-incidentally also premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
“I am SO proud and SO excited for audiences to experience these stories. Thank you to everyone who has supported me.
“I’m grateful this chapter has reached its conclusion and I’m looking forward to getting back to what I love most, my family and my work. Thank you to the Judge and the Australian legal system who I have the utmost respect for.”
Earlier in the same post, Wilson described directing The Deb as her “dream job”, while also acknowledging that the dispute surrounding the project had been extremely difficult.
Justice Raper also found that MacInnes did in fact raise concerns with Wilson about the bath incident. However, while the judge accepted that one of Wilson’s posts carried an imputation about her co-star, the court concluded it did not meet the threshold for defamation.
The ruling added that the court did not accept “the assertion of someone changing their story, for which there could be innumerable reasons for why they did, determined objectively by reference to community standards, is defamatory.”