Hollywood star Rebel Wilson cleared in 'The Deb' defamation case; won defamation case brought by young actress

Rebel Wilson has emerged victorious in a defamation case brought by Charlotte MacInnes, the lead actress of *The Deb*. An Australian federal court, presided over by Justice Elizabeth Raper, dismissed the claims, stating that MacInnes failed to prove the posts caused serious harm.¹²³⁶⁷

MacInnes had accused Wilson of spreading lies on Instagram, claiming the posts made her a target of online abuse and affected her career prospects. However, Justice Raper found that only one of MacInnes's claims was substantiated—that she had changed her story about feeling uncomfortable—but this was not deemed defamatory.

In her ruling, Justice Raper noted, 'To say that the circumstance surrounding how they came to be in the bath are unusual would be an understatement.' The case stemmed from a September 2023 incident involving MacInnes and a film producer, which Wilson claimed was a retraction of a sexual harassment complaint.

The court ordered MacInnes to pay Wilson's legal costs, marking another legal victory for the actress, who previously won a defamation case against Bauer Media in 2017. In an Instagram post following the ruling, Wilson expressed gratitude to the judge and the Australian legal system for the 'substantial win' and looked forward to moving on.⁴

This case is part of a broader legal saga surrounding *The Deb*, which has seen Wilson accuse producers of blocking the film's premiere and embezzling funds.