Rebel Wilson gives evidence in high-profile defamation case against star of directorial debut

Hollywood star Rebel Wilson has denied lying as she maintains she had no involvement in websites that attacked a producer with whom she is feuding.The Pitch Perfect star is being sued by Charlotte MacInnes, the Australian lead actor of the musical comedy The Deb.MacInnes claims she was defamed by social media posts from Wilson that suggest she is a liar who retracted a sexual harassment complaint to advance her career.Wilson claims the young actor confided that she felt uncomfortable after sharing a bath in swimwear with The Deb co-producer Amanda Ghost following a medical episode in September 2023.MacInnes denies making the complaint and says her reputation has been damaged by suggestions she retracted it for a lead role and a record deal.The court heard the claims were referenced in smear websites created by a crisis PR team that described Ms Ghost as an “Indian Ghislaine Maxwell” and a sex trafficker.Giving evidence in the Federal Court on Tuesday, Wilson denied authoring or ordering the creation of the malicious websites.She said her US lawyer hired The Agency Group to assist her with a legal dispute with her co-producers, repeatedly insisting the firm had not been commissioned to work for her.The firm is also accused of creating smear websites against Hollywood actor Blake Lively on behalf of her co-star Justin Baldoni.Wilson rejected suggestions from MacInnes’ barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC that she was lying and pretending to misunderstand questions.“You know you’ve lied about this topic for a year haven’t you?” Chrysanthou asked.“No,” Wilson responded.The Bridesmaids star said anyone could have created the word document from which the content of the smear websites appeared to have been sourced.The metadata records the author as Wilson’s company, but the actor denied any knowledge of the document and suggested anyone could have used the name.Wilson said she didn’t think she would have been horrified by the allegations against Ghost on the websites because the producer had been bullying and harassing her at the time.She was questioned about a previous statement that she regarded herself as a champion of women and considered her commitment to The Deb was proof of that.“Do you still say you regard yourself as a champion of women?” Chrysanthou asked.“Yes,” Wilson replied.“If you look over my 25-year career, you can see many evidences (sic) of me supporting women”.The Deb director denied mistreating MacInnes and Ghost while working with them on the film, labelling accusations of private and public bullying as “absolute nonsense”.“Inappropriate behaviour from a person in power to an employee is a serious problem,” Wilson said.She had smiled as she entered the courthouse but appeared more guarded when she got into the witness box.Wilson falsely portrayed herself as a whistleblower who spoke up to protect MacInnes when she was actually using the alleged complaint as leverage in a dispute with her co-producers, Chrysanthou claimed.“This is how this bully, apparently this saviour of women, the protector of the harassed, responds,” she previously told the court.But Wilson raised her concerns with others even though she had doubts about the veracity of the alleged complaint, her lawyer Dauid Sibtain SC said.The central issue is not whether MacInnes was a victim but instead whether she complained to Wilson and then altered her story, he said.“She changed her story,” Sibtain said in his opening address.“She did so to ensure her career as an actress and musician progressed by appeasing Ghost.”Sibtain argued MacInnes’ reputation hasn’t suffered any harm at all as a result of the social media posts.The trial continues.Amanda Ghost arrives at the federal court in Sydney on Tuesday morning. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP