MacInnes Appeals Wilson Defamation Ruling
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- Charlotte MacInnes formally appealed after Justice Elizabeth Raper ruled that Wilson's Instagram posts were not defamatory, with MacInnes' legal team arguing in an eight-page filing that the judge "erred" in her conclusions.
- MacInnes' appeal accused Wilson of giving "false evidence" and "destroying, concealing or otherwise failing to produce relevant documents," and attacked Justice Raper for not weighing Wilson's alleged role in a "smear website" that called producer Amanda Ghost the "Indian Ghislaine Maxwell" — Wilson has denied involvement.
- Justice Raper ruled that MacInnes "failed to establish that the publications have caused or were likely to cause serious harm," finding that MacInnes "changed her story about feeling uncomfortable about what happened in the bathroom."
- Justice Raper stated she had "serious misgivings as to the truthfulness of the testimony of each of Ms. MacInnes, Ms. Ghost and Ms. Wilson" but ultimately found Wilson's post-incident actions and documentary trail supported her account.
- The underlying incident occurred in September 2023 when Ghost and MacInnes shared a bath in a Sydney apartment after swimming at Bondi beach; both parties say it was non-sexual and that they wore swimsuits after Ghost had a medical incident.
- The Deb's producers are separately suing Wilson in Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing the Pitch Perfect star of an unjustified vendetta after she was denied a writing credit on the film.
Why it matters: Wilson now faces parallel defamation-related litigation on two continents: MacInnes' appeal in Australia escalates the dispute by directly attacking both the judge's credibility and Wilson's honesty, while the LA suit adds a second front tied to Wilson's writing credit dispute on The Deb — meaning a single 2023 bath incident could drag through courts for years and shape Wilson's reputation and career in both jurisdictions.
