By Adelaide Lang
Hollywood star Rebel Wilson has rejected an “absolutely outrageous” accusation that she dumped her phone to avoid handing over key communications in a defamation case.
The Pitch Perfect star is being sued by Charlotte MacInnes, the 27-year-old lead actor of the musical comedy The Deb.
MacInnes alleges she was defamed by Wilson in social media posts that suggested she is a liar who retracted a sexual harassment complaint to further her acting and music career.
Wilson claims MacInnes confided that she felt uncomfortable after the film’s co-producer Amanda Ghost asked her to have a shower and a bath together in September 2023.
“I was pretty shocked by it,” she told the Federal Court.
“I took it as a sexual harassment complaint.”
She was in the witness box for a second day on Wednesday after repeatedly rejecting accusations she was lying or that she had bullied and harassed MacInnes.
The Bridesmaids star told the court her phone had been stolen in London so she was unable to hand over some crucial communications requested by MacInnes’ legal team.
Wilson said some of her text chains hadn’t been backed up so she was unable to retrieve and surrender them.
“Are you sure your phone was stolen and you didn’t just dump it in a park?” MacInnes’ lawyer Sue Chrysanthou SC asked.
Wilson’s lawyer Dauid Sibtain SC objected to the question but not before his client answered.
“That is absolutely outrageous,” the actor said.
Wilson was also questioned about a text message exchange she had with MacInnes in May 2023, after inviting her to a theatre production with other cast members of The Deb.
The young actor blamed a lack of wi-fi for her lack of response to Wilson and explained she had ended up dining with Ms Ghost instead, the texts show.
“Huge apologies again for last night,” MacInnes texted the next day.
“I appreciate the apology,” Wilson replied.
“In the future, it is terribly rude to say you wanted a ticket to a show and then you don’t reply or follow up … not a great start to our working relationship.”
MacInnes apologised again and praised the older actor as “nothing short of wonderful”.
Wilson rejected suggestions from Ms Chrysanthou that the text was utterly inappropriate, bullying or “over the top”.
“I don’t regard one text message as bullying,” she said.
The star previously told the court that work on The Deb had been underway for years when MacInnes made a complaint about feeling uncomfortable with Ms Ghost.
“This is a fun girl-power movie and the worst thing that could have fallen into my lap at that point was a sexual harassment complaint,” she said.
The conversation allegedly occurred a day after MacInnes shared a bath with Ms Ghost in their swimwear in a bid to warm up after the producer suffered a medical episode at Bondi Beach.
MacInnes denies making a complaint to Wilson and insists she never said she felt uncomfortable.
Wilson says she asked the young actor if she was alright and reported the matter to another producer before escalating it higher at a later date.
As Wilson entered the courthouse on Wednesday, she revealed she was preoccupied with her heavily pregnant wife and the impending birth of her second child.
“If I seem a bit anxious, it’s because any day my second child may be born, hopefully not today,” she told reporters.
The first-time director said she was unable to comment about the case out of respect for the legal process, but thanked the cast and crew of The Deb for their support.
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