Rebel Wilson faces NSW Supreme Court as producers sue over alleged movie sabotage

Fresh from the red carpet of the Toronto International Film Festival where she’s been promoting her latest film Girl Group, Australian actor Rebel Wilson has returned to Sydney to star in a real life courtroom drama unfolding in the NSW Supreme Court.

Wilson is being sued by AI Film Production for allegedly undermining and blocking the release of the 2024 film The Deb, which was Wilson’s directorial debut.

AI Film also alleges she breached various contractual obligations, breached directorial duties, engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct and repeatedly committed the tort injurious falsehood.

The Deb also premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, in September 2024, but since then it has spent more time being discussed in courtrooms than in movie theatres.

Much of the legal stoush now being argued before Justice Elisabeth Peden centres on social media posts by Wilson which have also been the subject of defamation action brought against Wilson.

AI Film claims those posts to Wilson’s 11 million Instagram followers in July 2024 made false and derogatory statements about the film’s other producers – Vince Holden, Gregor Cameron and his wife Amanda Ghost – “that they had engaged in inappropriate conduct toward the lead actor Charlotte MacInnes, embezzled the Film’s funds and were trying to block the release of the film.

In the posts complained about, Wilson wrote that Ms MacInnes had reported to her as the producer that MacInnes was asked to have a bath and shower with Ms Ghost which had made her feel uncomfortable.

Wilson later posted that Ms MacInnes had “changed her story” about that in order to land a role in a production called Gatsby.

According to a statement of claim filed to the court by AI Film, Wilson is also alleged to have caused through US PR firm The Agency Group a number of websites, including amandaghostsucks.com, in order to smear Ms Ghost.

Wilson has denied the allegations by AI Film and filed a counter claim seeking almost $800,000 in her production fees and costs owed to her company Camp Sugar.

In July this year, Wilson won her defamation battle with MacInnes. MacInnes sued Wilson for defamation alleging the Pitch Perfect’s stars media posts alleged she recanted a sexual harassment complaint to further her own career. It is understood Ms MacInnes intends to appeal that decision.

Originally published as Rebel Wilson faces NSW Supreme Court as producers sue over alleged movie sabotage