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Justice Elizabeth Raper dismissed the defamation lawsuit that Charlotte MacInnes filed against Rebel Wilson. The Federal Court ruling followed a three-week trial that commenced in April 2026. Raper determined that Wilson’s posts accusing MacInnes of retracting a sexual harassment complaint to advance her career did not constitute defamation. The judge added that MacInnes failed to demonstrate the posts caused or were likely to cause serious harm to her reputation. MacInnes has been ordered to cover Wilson’s legal costs.
The case stemmed from events in September 2023 at Bondi Beach as outlined in testimony covered by ABC News. MacInnes and producer Amanda Ghost swam in cold water prompting an allergic reaction that sent them back to Ghost’s apartment. Both women wearing swimsuits then shared a bath an occurrence the judge called highly unusual. Wilson maintained that MacInnes told her the next day the situation felt uncomfortable before later clarifying in a text message to Ghost that it was simply bizarre. Court records from the proceedings show Wilson followed up with MacInnes directly about the encounter.
Trial coverage by The Guardian and Deadline detailed how MacInnes’s lawyers labeled Wilson’s account malicious concoctions. They further alleged Wilson had directed a smear campaign against Ghost though Wilson denied any such action in her evidence. Wilson positioned herself during proceedings reported by ABC as a champion of women who acted on genuine concerns. The action attracted attention due to Wilson’s prominence and her role in overseeing production of the film that featured MacInnes. Multiple outlets tracked the dispute from its social media origins through to the courtroom.
MacInnes who completed acting training in Western Australia in 2021 contended that the posts visible to Wilson’s millions of followers had impaired her opportunities after landing the part. Wilson’s defense team highlighted MacInnes’s signing of a reported $150 000 record deal according to Guardian reporting from April as indication her career trajectory remained positive. The Deb a musical comedy that Wilson directed and co-wrote marked her feature directorial debut and reached Australian screens in 2026 following production delays tied to the public disagreements. Industry coverage noted the project involved a cast that included Natalie Abbott alongside MacInnes.
Wilson addressed the outcome directly in an Instagram post published shortly after the decision. “The process has taught me a lot,” she wrote. “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.” She thanked her supporters the presiding judge and the Australian legal system for which she voiced utmost respect. Wilson concluded she felt grateful the matter had reached its end.
Production of The Deb encountered reported tensions on set that Wilson consistently rejected as unfounded according to statements compiled across ABC and Deadline coverage. The film premiered this year amid the lingering legal proceedings that began when MacInnes initiated the suit over the 2024 and 2025 Instagram content. Resolution of the case closes a prominent chapter linking social media accusations courtroom arguments and the Australian entertainment sector. Coverage from The Daily Telegraph and other outlets had followed the matter from its earliest hearings through to the final verdict.
