Aussie actress at centre of Rebel Wilson’s defamation case claims sexual assault accusations false

An Australian actress at the centre of a multimillion-dollar defamation case has made startling claims about Rebel Wilson’s sexual assault accusations.

An Aussie actress at the centre of the extraordinary legal spat on set of new film The Deb has accused Rebel Wilson of fabricating stories about her, as well as bullying her.

Charlotte MacInnes, who stars in the comedy that premiered in September, claims that Wilson repeatedly said one of the film’s three producers, Amanda Ghost, had sexually harassed and abused MacInnes, despite her telling Wilson that no such incidents had taken place.

“I was deeply disturbed by this behaviour, and felt very bullied and harassed by Wilson, who was the director of the film and in a position of authority over me,” MacInnes alleged in the lawsuit filed in a Los Angeles court.

“Nothing that I told Wilson could reasonably have conveyed that I was reporting any misconduct, because there was no misconduct.

Rebel Wilson with Charlotte MacInnes, second from right, at the launch of The Deb. Picture: Getty Images

“I also understand [there were] claims that I was subjected to ‘depraved sexual demands’ and that ‘MacInnes remains captive by Ghost and Cameron as she is shuttled from city to city with them including Boston, New York, and London’.

“These statements are completely false and absurd. I have no idea what could cause Wilson and her lawyer to make up such lies about me.”

The alleged sexual misconduct is one of three accusations made by Wilson, which have led the film’s three producers — Ghost, her husband Gregor Cameron, and Vince Holden — to sue the Australian actress for defamation.

On Wilson’s Instagram account, which boasts over 11 million followers, and in her court filings, she has also accused Ghost and Cameron of conspiring to embezzle $A900,000 from the funding of The Deb, in addition to making various claims of bullying and unlawful imprisonment.

Rebel Wilson with NSW Arts Minister John Graham at the rehearsal space for Rebels new film The Deb which was filmed in Australia. Picture: Tim Hunter

In response, Wilson is countersuing and seeking to invoke California’s anti-SLAPP laws, which are designed to protect free speech on matters of public interest, in an effort to have the defamation claims against her dismissed.

Lawyers for the producers filed a motion last week to strike Wilson’s claim, arguing that her declaration contained “multiple blatant falsehoods” and amounted to perjury. They contend that Wilson’s complaint centres on a private business dispute, not a public issue.

The filed documents include MacInnes’s declaration and additional statements shedding light on the dispute over The Deb’s writing credits, which has further escalated tensions. The legal battle could result in millions in legal fees for both sides.

The producers’ lawyers have also requested a 90-day stay to investigate the source of an anonymous website that allegedly accused Ghost of being an “Indian Ghislaine Maxwell.”

Lawyers for the producers also claim that Wilson’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, sent them an email threatening to “blow up” one or more of the plaintiffs in a public filing that would involve allegations of “sex trafficking,” which Freedman argued “can’t be good for the film.”

In documents filed to an LA court, Charlotte MacInnes alleges that she told Wilson no misconduct happened, calling it ‘absurd’. Picture: Instagram

Additionally, the producers have filed statements accusing Wilson of threatening the film’s writer, Hannah Reilly, who was awarded the Rebel Wilson Theatremaker Scholarship through the Australian Theatre for Young People, which led to her play being adapted into a film.

When Wilson was refused writing credits for the film, she sought arbitration through the Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG) and sent a warning to Reilly’s agent, stating: “Moving forward with arbitration puts your client at significant financial risk and also destroys any remaining relationship or support your client would receive from me and my associates in the industry.”

The AWG ruled against Wilson, awarding her only an “additional writing” credit for the film.

The court is set to hear Wilson’s anti-SLAPP motion and the producers’ request for a stay in proceedings on November 21.

Originally published as Aussie actress at centre of Rebel Wilson’s defamation case claims sexual assault accusations false