Actor suing Rebel Wilson denies giving false statements about ‘bath incident’ at heart of defamation battle

The star of Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut has emphatically denied giving false statements about a bath incident with a producer that sparked a blockbuster defamation battle. Charlotte MacInnes felt as if she had her big break when she was cast in musical comedy The Deb, which was set in rural New South Wales and directed and co-produced by Wilson. But she later sued the Pitch Perfect star over social media posts which claimed the young actor had complained about feeling uncomfortable after bathing with co-producer Amanda Ghost in their swimming costumes. Wilson’s social media posts suggested MacInnes had dishonestly retracted the complaint in return for a lead role in a stage production and a record deal, the young actor claims. Ghost suffered a medical episode on Bondi beach on 5 September 2023 and MacInnes assisted her back to an apartment they shared with others, the court was told. In a statement about the incident, MacInnes said she ran a shower for the producer before she and another woman suggested a bath would warm her up more efficiently. “An innocent incident occurred that Ms Wilson has exploited and mischaracterised ever since,” the actor said. Wilson’s barrister, Dauid Sibtain SC, noted she did not mention sharing the bath with Ghost, something she had since acknowledged doing. But MacInnes rejected his suggestions that her statement was “false or at least highly misleading” because of the omission. The young actor maintains she didn’t tell Wilson that the producer asked her to have a shower and bathe with her and that it had made her uncomfortable, as alleged in the social media posts. “I never said those words,” MacInnes told the court. She said she had been deeply distressed when Ghost stopped speaking to her after Wilson relayed the alleged complaint. She also worried about how it would affect her career. MacInnes agreed the producer had given her a lot of help, including providing feedback and networking opportunities. MacInnes said she felt her dreams were coming true when she was performing on super yachts and flying in private jets, partly thanks to Ghost. She had prioritised meeting with Ghost over attending a theatre production with Wilson and other cast members from The Deb in May 2023, four months before the alleged bath incident. MacInnes didn’t respond to Wilson’s invitation and ended up dining with Ghost, texts disclosed to the court reveal. “Huge apologies again for last night ... I lost track of time,” the younger actor texted Wilson the next day. “I appreciate the apology,” the Bridesmaid star 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 offered her “huge apologies” and praised the older actor as “nothing short of wonderful”. They were the first cracks in a relationship that completely fell apart when Wilson took to social media to allege the young actor had retracted her complaint to advance her career. The Deb was released in Australia earlier in April after legal issues prevented its widespread release following its 2024 film festival premiere. The trial continues.