‘Mocking the evidence’: Post by Rebel Wilson’s wife sparks controversy in court

An Instagram post by Rebel Wilson’s wife has sparked controversy in court after the young actor suing the Hollywood star for defamation said it appeared to be “mocking the evidence that I gave”.

Charlotte MacInnes, who plays the lead role in Australian musical film The Deb, which was directed, co-produced and acted in by Wilson, is suing the Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids actor over a series of social media posts.

She was cross-examined by Wilson’s barrister, Dauid Sibtain, SC, in the Federal Court in Sydney on Thursday before returning to the witness box briefly on Friday for re-examination by her own barrister.

Sue Chrysanthou, SC, asked MacInnes about a story on Ramona Agruma-Wilson’s Instagram account, posted six hours ago after the bulk of MacInnes’ evidence had been completed.

It showed a character from the animated film Finding Nemo, Dory, who is forgetful, with the words “I suffer from short-term memory loss … or do I? I can’t remember.”

Sibtain said it was an “anodyne reference to a character from a movie”, prompting Chrysanthou to say that this “can’t be a serious” response “given the timing of the post”.

“I felt as though she was mocking the evidence that I gave,” MacInnes told the court.

Chrysanthou told the court this would be relevant to aggravated damages.

At the centre of the trial is a claim by Wilson that MacInnes complained to her that a producer of The Deb, Amanda Ghost, made her feel uncomfortable during an incident involving a bath in Bondi in 2023, but later “changed her story” to secure future career opportunities with Ghost.

MacInnes gave evidence on Thursday that she “never made a complaint” to Wilson and “didn’t walk back anything”. She is seeking damages for defamation for Wilson’s claim that she lied in recanting the alleged complaint to advance her career.

Ghost, who flew from London for the proceedings, started giving evidence on Friday morning.

MacInnes launched the Federal Court defamation suit against Wilson over a series of four Instagram stories, posted between September 2024 and July last year, that made claims about the young star and Ghost.

Wilson alleged in one of the stories that MacInnes made “a complaint to me as director” that Ghost “asked her to have a bath and shower with her and it made her feel uncomfortable”. MacInnes denies that conversation happened. Neither woman was named in that story, but surrounding posts contained identifying information.

At the time of the alleged complaint in September 2023, MacInnes was living with Ghost and the producer’s assistant at a rented Bondi penthouse apartment during rehearsals for The Deb.

MacInnes gave evidence on Thursday that the bath incident on September 5, 2023, was a medical episode. Ghost had a reaction to the cold after swimming with MacInnes at Bondi Beach, and MacInnes assisted the producer to warm up, she said. At one stage both women, wearing their swimmers, shared a bath.

Sibtain put to MacInnes that it was a “pretty regular-sized bath”, and tendered a photo of the bathroom in the Campbell Parade penthouse.

“I’d describe it as a large bath,” MacInnes said.

MacInnes agreed under questioning by Sibtain that she ran a bath for Ghost to warm up, but said she got in first rather than Ghost. She denied Ghost invited her to get in the bath.

Chrysanthou alleged in her opening address to the court that Wilson “was not a whistleblower … seeking to protect a young actress” and had only claimed when it “suited” her that MacInnes was “a victim”.

Wilson has denied making the claims to further her commercial interests amid a welter of legal disputes with the film’s co-producers, including Ghost. She is seeking to rely chiefly on the defence of truth.