Star of troubled film The Deb claims Rebel Wilson defamed her

One of the stars of the troubled Australian film The Deb has claimed that Rebel Wilson defamed her in a series of social media posts, including that she changed her story about being sexually harassed by a producer after being cast in another production and given a record deal.

The lawyer for Charlotte MacInnes has issued Wilson, who directed and acts in the musical comedy, with a concerns notice alleging a series of Instagram posts damaged her reputation.

The first stage of defamation proceedings, the concerns notice adds to the legal turmoil around The Deb, which had a world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year but is yet to be released.

The claims include that Wilson defamed MacInnes, who plays one of two teenagers who attend a debutante ball in a country town, by saying she lied by denying making a complaint about unwanted sexual advances by producer Amanda Ghost while making the film.

It is also claimed that Wilson defamed MacInnes by saying she changed her story after Ghost hired her in the lead role of a production and gave her a record deal and that MacInnes supported the UK producers blocking the film’s release at the expense of the 300 people who worked on the film.

Patrick George, from law firm Giles George, wrote that these posts “have each caused or are likely to cause serious harm” to MacInnes’ reputation.

“This was her first lead role in a film and you cruelled her professional reputation before she could even enjoy the benefit of the success of the film as the lead actress,” George said.

MacInnes’ claim includes seeking aggravated damages because Wilson publicly named her as an alleged victim of sexual harassment without her consent, then accused her of lying about it.

The bitter legal dispute began when Wilson posted on Instagram in July last year that executive producer Vince Holden and producers Ghost and Gregor Cameron were trying to block the Toronto premiere. She claimed in a video this was in retaliation for her reporting what she alleged was “inappropriate behaviour towards the lead actress” and “embezzling funds from the film’s budget”.

The producers denied Wilson’s allegations, calling them false, defamatory and disappointing, then filed a defamation suit against her in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Holden’s company A.I. Film filed a case in the NSW Supreme Court last month alleging Wilson blocked The Deb’s release with legal threats and had falsely outed MacInnes as a victim of sexual misconduct.

Wilson responded on Instagram to say the producers’ case made no sense.

“As the director, producer and co-star who nurtured a project called The Deb for five years from a three-page idea into a gorgeous feature film, I want nothing more than to have this film released, and have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to get this to happen,” she wrote.

Wilson has been approached to comment on the allegations in the concerns notice.

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