That is absolutely outrageous.
In a Sydney federal courtroom, Rebel Wilson — actress turned first-time director — finds herself at the center of a dispute that asks an ancient question: when two people witness the same events, whose account carries the weight of truth? Charlotte MacInnes, the young lead of Wilson's film The Deb, alleges she was defamed, surveilled, and ultimately violated through the leaking of an intimate photograph — all, she claims, at Wilson's direction. Wilson, in turn, insists she acted only to protect a vulnerable performer, and that the accusations against her are as baseless as they are outrageous.
- The trial's sharpest moment arrived when MacInnes' lawyer implied Wilson had destroyed her phone to bury damaging text messages — a charge Wilson rejected with visible fury from the stand.
- Beneath the legal maneuvering lies a deeply human rupture: a working relationship between director and lead actor that soured through unanswered texts, competing loyalties, and a disputed complaint about a film producer's conduct.
- The most serious allegation — that Wilson orchestrated a cyber-attack resulting in a nude photograph of MacInnes being sent to her contacts — looms over the proceedings, though no supporting evidence had yet been presented in open court.
- Wilson faces further cross-examination on claims of bullying and digital harassment, even as she told reporters outside the courthouse that her wife could go into labor with their second child at any moment.
Rebel Wilson returned to the witness stand for a second day in federal court, her composure tested almost immediately when MacInnes' lawyer, Sue Chrysanthou, implied she had discarded her phone to prevent damaging messages from reaching the court. Wilson's denial was swift and forceful. She maintains the device was stolen in London, making certain text chains impossible to recover.
The case pits two irreconcilable accounts against each other. MacInnes, 27, played the lead in Wilson's directorial debut, the musical comedy The Deb. She alleges Wilson defamed her through social media posts framing her as a liar who withdrew a sexual harassment complaint against film producer Amanda Ghost for career gain. Wilson's version is different: she says MacInnes confided discomfort after Ghost asked her to shower together, that she took the complaint seriously and reported it, and that she was simply protecting a young actor on her set.
Smaller moments in the testimony illuminated the friction between them. When MacInnes failed to respond to a group invitation in May 2023 — blaming poor wi-fi — and dined with Ghost instead, Wilson's reply to her subsequent apology was pointed: she called the silence rude and said it was not a promising start to their working relationship. MacInnes apologized again warmly. Wilson rejected the suggestion that her message constituted bullying. "I don't regard one text message as bullying," she said.
The most grave allegation remains unexamined in open court. MacInnes claims that shortly after filing her lawsuit, her Snapchat account was breached, her Facebook targeted, and a nude photograph of her was sent to all her contacts. In her sworn statement, she named Wilson as the person she believes orchestrated it. As of Wednesday, no evidence on this point had been presented, and Wilson had not yet been questioned about it.
Wilson arrived at court visibly distracted by something beyond the proceedings — her wife is heavily pregnant with their second child. "If I seem a bit anxious," she told reporters, "it's because any day my second child may be born." The trial continues, with more questions ahead about bullying, harassment, and whether a stolen phone is the truth or a convenient story.
Rebel Wilson took the stand for a second day in federal court on Wednesday, her composure tested by a lawyer's pointed question: had she really lost her phone in London, or had she simply thrown it away to avoid turning over damaging text messages? The accusation hung in the air. Wilson's answer was swift and emphatic. "That is absolutely outrageous," she said.
The defamation case centers on a collision between two versions of events. Wilson, the Pitch Perfect star and first-time director of the musical comedy The Deb, is being sued by Charlotte MacInnes, a 27-year-old actor who played the lead role. MacInnes claims Wilson defamed her through social media posts suggesting she was a liar who retracted a sexual harassment complaint purely to advance her acting and music career. Wilson's defense rests on a different narrative: that MacInnes confided in her about feeling uncomfortable after Amanda Ghost, the film's co-producer, asked her to shower and bathe together in September 2023. Wilson says she took this seriously, reported it as a sexual harassment complaint, and was simply trying to protect a young actor on her set.
The phone question cuts to the heart of what the court will ultimately decide—whether Wilson is being truthful. She told the judge her device was stolen in London, which is why she couldn't retrieve certain text chains that MacInnes' legal team had requested. Some messages, she said, were never backed up. Sue Chrysanthou, MacInnes' lawyer, pressed harder. The implication was clear: Wilson had something to hide. But Wilson's own lawyer objected before the question could fully land, and the moment passed.
Other exchanges revealed the texture of their working relationship. In May 2023, Wilson had invited MacInnes to a theatre production with other cast members. MacInnes didn't respond—she blamed poor wi-fi—and ended up dining with Ghost instead. The next day, MacInnes sent an apology. Wilson's reply was measured but pointed: she called the non-response rude and said it wasn't "a great start to our working relationship." MacInnes apologized again and called Wilson "nothing short of wonderful." When Chrysanthou suggested this exchange showed Wilson bullying or being over the top, Wilson pushed back. "I don't regard one text message as bullying," she said.
The alleged shower incident itself remains contested. Wilson says it happened a day after MacInnes and Ghost had shared a bath together in their swimwear to help warm the producer up after a medical episode at Bondi Beach. MacInnes denies ever complaining to Wilson about feeling uncomfortable. She also denies that the shower request was inappropriate. Wilson claims she overheard Ghost and MacInnes saying things of a sexual nature to each other—a claim MacInnes has flatly rejected as false.
But the case extends beyond workplace tension. MacInnes has made a more serious allegation: that Wilson orchestrated cyber-attacks on her social media accounts. Days after MacInnes filed the lawsuit in September, her Snapchat account was breached and someone attempted to breach her Facebook account. A nude photograph of MacInnes was leaked to all her contacts. In her sworn statement, MacInnes wrote: "I believe that this was orchestrated by Rebel." As of Wednesday morning, no evidence supporting this claim had been presented in open court, and Wilson had not yet been asked about it.
As Wilson arrived at the courthouse Wednesday morning, she told reporters her mind was partly elsewhere. Her wife was heavily pregnant with their second child, and the birth could come any day. "If I seem a bit anxious, it's because any day my second child may be born, hopefully not today," she said. The trial continues, and Wilson faces more questioning about the allegations she denies—the bullying, the harassment, and now the question of whether she destroyed evidence to protect herself.
Citas Notables
I was pretty shocked by it. I took it as a sexual harassment complaint.— Rebel Wilson, describing her reaction to MacInnes' alleged discomfort with Amanda Ghost
I don't regard one text message as bullying.— Rebel Wilson, responding to suggestions that her reply to MacInnes about missing a theatre invitation was inappropriate
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does the phone matter so much in this case?
Because if Wilson destroyed it deliberately, the court might assume she was hiding something—messages that would support MacInnes' version of events. It's not just about the phone itself. It's about what the phone represents: honesty or concealment.
And Wilson's explanation—that it was stolen—is she credible on that?
That's what the trial will determine. But the lawyer's question was designed to plant doubt. The specificity of "dumped it in a park" was meant to suggest Wilson is the kind of person who would do exactly that.
What strikes you most about the text exchange between them?
How quickly the relationship soured. One missed theatre invitation becomes a statement about their entire working dynamic. Wilson's response—calling it rude and "not a great start"—reads as a warning shot. MacInnes immediately backs down and praises her. There's a power imbalance written into those messages.
Do you think the shower incident actually happened the way Wilson describes it?
I don't know. But what's clear is that MacInnes' account of it has changed. She denies complaining to Wilson at all. That's the core problem for her credibility, and it's what Wilson's defense hinges on.
The hacking allegations—that's the most serious claim, isn't it?
By far. A stolen phone is one thing. But if someone orchestrated the release of a nude photo to all her contacts, that's a crime. That's not a workplace dispute anymore. That's something else entirely.
And Wilson hasn't been asked about it yet?
Not in open court. But she will be. That's coming.