Wilson Wins Defamation Case Over 'The Deb' Bath Dispute
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- Justice Elizabeth Raper of the Federal Court of Australia in Sydney dismissed Charlotte MacInnes' defamation and breach-of-confidence claims against Rebel Wilson on Wednesday and ordered MacInnes to pay Wilson's legal costs.
- The dispute centered on events on Sept. 5, 2023, when MacInnes and 'The Deb' producer Amanda Ghost shared a bath after swimming at Bondi Beach; Ghost suffered a severe cold-water reaction that placed the then-25-year-old MacInnes in an awkward position caring for the then-49-year-old producer.
- Wilson maintained across four Instagram posts (September 2024–July 2025) that MacInnes had told her she felt uncomfortable about the bath and later changed her account; Raper found only the meaning in the Sept. 23, 2024 post was conveyed and ruled it was not defamatory.
- Raper labeled both MacInnes and Ghost 'unreliable historians' with inconsistent accounts, finding on the balance of probabilities that MacInnes had felt uncomfortable, complained to Wilson the next day, and later changed her story.
- The judgment explicitly did not determine Ghost's behavior was sexual or constituted sexual harassment, noting the parties had not asked the court to decide whether the conduct had a sexualised dimension.
- MacInnes signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in October 2025 and released two singles; Raper found no evidence Wilson's posts caused serious harm to her reputation or cost her work or other opportunities.
- Wilson said in a statement she was 'relieved' the proceedings had concluded, thanked the court and Australian legal system, and reiterated her support for 'The Deb' as 'a film about individuality, resilience and the courage to be oneself.'
Why it matters: MacInnes now owes Wilson's legal costs despite signing with Atlantic Records and releasing two singles during the litigation. Raper's explicit refusal to classify Ghost's behavior as sexual harassment — despite the 24-year age gap and unusual shared-bath circumstances — narrows what was widely framed as a #MeToo-adjacent dispute into a credibility contest, while separate legal disputes between Wilson and 'The Deb' producers remain ongoing.
