Actor Rebel Wilson’s involvement in smear campaign against producer Amanda Ghost comes into question in court

Australian star Rebel Wilson has been accused of lying about her involvement in an alleged smear website, with a barrister claiming she used her position to “shamelessly” and “deceitfully” make allegations against a producer the actor was feuding with.

Actor Charlotte MacInnes, 25, who starred in Ms Wilson’s new film The Deb, is suing the Pitch Perfect star in the Federal Court of Australia over a series of social media posts allegedly made by Ms Wilson.

The young actor’s lawyers claim the posts imply Ms MacInnes lied by denying making a sexual harassment complaint against one of the film’s producers, Amanda Ghost, in return for a lead role in another of Ms Ghost’s productions, documents released by the court claim.

Ms Wilson is also facing allegations that she and her PR team were behind an alleged smear campaign against Ms Ghost, involving attack websites.

She has repeatedly denied any involvement.

In the Federal Court on Wednesday, defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC, acting on behalf of Ms MacInnes, told the court they accuse Ms Wilson of lying about her involvement in the smear campaign.

“The fact that a person in Ms Wilson’s position … we say … has shamelessly … deceitfully organised through her (former) lawyer … a PR company to register and put up these websites … to make shocking allegations, disgusting allegations, against numerous people, including my client and Ms Ghost … and then to … repeatedly lie about it including on 60 Minutes,” she said.

“We say this is plainly relevant as to whether your honour should issue an injunction.”

It is “highly coincidental”, Ms Chrysanthou told the court, that the content of Ms Wilson’s alleged social media posts and comments in a public interview, “closely mirror” the content of those websites.

“The sort of allegations made in the websites about my client … were repeated by Ms Wilson in the Instagram post a couple weeks ago,” she said.

Meanwhile, lawyers for Ms Wilson claimed documents that involved communications between Ms Wilson and her former lawyer were privileged, in the midst of preparation for trial.

The matter is set for a nine-day hearing before the Federal Court of Australia next Monday, with Ms Wilson herself expected to take the stand.

Bondi Beach swim at centre of case

The two actors were co-stars in the musical comedy The Deb, also written and directed by Ms Wilson.

At the centre of the case is a swim at Bondi Beach in September 2023, with Ms MacInnes’ lawyers claiming Ms Ghost had a medical episode and Ms MacInnes had run her a hot bath at the producer’s penthouse apartment.

Ms MacInnes allegedly showered and bathed with Ms Ghost at the producer’s apartment after a swim at Bondi in 2023, documents filed by Ms Wilson claim, with the Aussie star branding the alleged “sexual behaviour” as “completely inappropriate and unacceptable”.

Ms Wilson claims the young actor later told her the incident had made her uncomfortable, while documents filed by Ms MacInnes instead claim Ms Ghost had suffered a medical episode at the beach and she had run a hot bath for the producer as a result, with both of them remaining in bathing suits.

Ms MacInnes claims Ms Wilson lied by telling Ms Ghost the young actor made a complaint against her, with Ms MacInnes later telling the Aussie star she was not uncomfortable with what had unfolded, documents allege.

Ms Wilson claims the young actor lied by saying this.

Ms MacInnes’ lawyers further claim one of Ms Wilson’s posts implied the young actor supported people allegedly trying to block the film’s release in exchange for a record deal.

Ms Wilson admits to making some of the social media posts but denies they carry the defamatory meaning alleged by Ms MacInnes.