Rebel Wilson has been cleared of accusations that she defamed a young actress, the Sydney court found.
Charlotte MacInnes, who appeared in Wilson’s film The Deb, filed a lawsuit citing defamatory Instagram posts from 2024 and 2025.
The posts claimed MacInnes had withdrawn her sexual‑harassment complaint against a film producer to advance her career, a claim she denied outright.
Justice Elizabeth Raper dismissed the case, declaring the imputations not defaming and ordering MacInnes to cover Wilson’s legal costs.
Central to the dispute was an incident in September 2023 when MacInnes was swimming at Bondi Beach with producer Amanda Ghost, leading to a bath scenario in Ghost’s rented apartment. The subsequent Instagram posts referenced this private moment, stirring controversy.
Raper remarked on the incident’s uniqueness, noting a lack of serious harm to MacInnes’ reputation and underscored the importance of context in judging alleged slander.
Wilson, after the judgment, shared her gratitude for the process, stating, "It has tested me, but it has also reinforced something I’ve always believed: I want to stand up for what’s right while creating joy for people."
The decision serves as a reminder of the weight of community‑based storytelling, echoing Indigenous principles of truth‑sharing and respectful narrative practice, crucial for upholding social integrity in a media‑savvy age.
