Rebel Wilson using US court proceedings to ‘harass and intimidate’ star of The Deb, court told | Rebel Wilson
Australian actor Rebel Wilson is accused of using US court proceedings to harass and intimidate her leading lady in her directorial debut The Deb.
The New South Wales supreme court heard on Friday that earlier this month The Deb star Charlotte MacInnes was given a deposition in Los Angeles with the request to appear at the hearing to be held in California at the end of this month.
MacInnes’ Sydney lawyer, Sue Chrysanthou, told the court the testimony, which could force MacInnes to answer questions about whether he was pressured or offered incentives to drop sexual harassment allegations against one of The Deb’s producers, was alleged by Wilson to “harass and harass” his costar, in a separate defamation case MacInnes filed against Wilson in federal court. He said it was a tactic designed to intimidate.
Deb producers and their company AI Film are suing Wilson and his company Camp Sugar in the high court for allegedly violating many contracts. At Friday’s hearing, they sought an emergency interim injunction to prevent Wilson, who is being sued by the producers for defamation, from filing a countersuit in California.
Judge James Khmelnitsky rejected the request on the grounds that the application for a final injunction would be heard before the US case proceeds.
Wilson was represented by Declan Roche SC at an interim hearing on Friday.
After the hearing, Wilson’s legal team said in a statement that Wilson had vehemently denied any wrongdoing and had “repeatedly emphasized that his concerns were providing a safe workplace during the filming of The Deb and then seeing the film released.”
The hearing took place after the producers announced overnight that they had finally found a distributor for The Deb after months of delays due to an escalating legal battle on two continents, with each side accusing the other of deliberately sabotaging the film’s release.
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Chrysanthou told the court that if a temporary injunction is not granted, plaintiffs and witnesses would have to fight a costly battle to defend themselves in California, in which case legal costs would not be covered. Chrysanthou said Wilson’s proposal for his cross-complaint to be heard in a free tribunal was “clearly scandalous and vexing” and that the issues should be resolved by the courts in NSW, where the film was shot.
Wilson filed an amended cross-complaint against The Deb producers Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and Vince Holden and their London company AI Film on Wednesday, raising allegations of financial misconduct, coercion and harassment against the producers.
Chrysanthou said these matters had already been litigated in Australia and Wilson had previously accepted that they should be resolved under NSW jurisdiction.
Wilson is being sued in the high court by AI Film, alleging that his actions breached several contracts, including agreements relating to his role as shareholder, director, producer and actor in The Deb. They also accuse him of misleading or deceptive conduct under Australian consumer law and making harmful misrepresentations on his Instagram account.
Wilson’s legal team has filed a defense denying allegations that he sabotaged the release of The Deb and arguing that the producers raised legitimate concerns about allegations of misconduct and financial mismanagement.
In the US libel case, the producers argue that Wilson’s decision to ignore MacInnes’s repeated denials of harassment showed that Wilson acted knowingly and in bad faith to promote a narrative that was damaging to both MacInnes and Ghost. Court documents also allege that Wilson orchestrated a smear campaign that included malicious websites targeting both women, portraying Ghost as “Native American Ghislaine Maxwell” and MacInnes as an accomplice, while Wilson insinuated that MacInnes refused to be the victim in exchange for a starring role and a record deal.
MacInnes vehemently denied these allegations and on September 22 filed a defamation lawsuit in federal court, arguing that Wilson’s statements were false, malicious, and damaged his reputation and career.
On Thursday, AI Film announced that Rialto Distribution had acquired the rights to The Deb in Australia and New Zealand, with plans for a mass theatrical release in January.
This article was amended on October 11, 2025, to include the outcome of the hearing and additional statement from Rebel Wilson’s legal team. An earlier version also incorrectly said MacInnes was presented with the statement in the United Kingdom.
