Charlotte MacInnes has accused Rebel Wilson of accessing her Snapchat account and triggering the circulation of a nude photograph, court filings say. MacInnes has launched defamation proceedings in Australia’s Federal Court, alleging posts by Wilson and her wife, Ramona Agruma‑Wilson, falsely suggested she made and then retracted a sexual‑harassment complaint following a medical emergency involving co‑producer Amanda Ghost at Bondi in September 2023.
The allegation and the lawsuit Charlotte MacInnes, the lead actor in the Australian musical comedy The Deb, has lodged defamation claims against Rebel Wilson in a Federal Court action in Australia. She alleges in court filings that Wilson or people close to her accessed her private Snapchat account and that the intrusion led to the circulation of a nude image. The claim is central to MacInnes’s wider complaint that social‑media commentary by Wilson and Agruma‑Wilson harmed her career and reputation. The suit focuses on a sequence of events after Amanda Ghost, co‑producer of The Deb, suffered a medical episode at Bondi beach in September 2023. MacInnes says she helped Ghost back to the apartment they were sharing with other members of the film team and that the two tried to warm up together by sharing a bath in their swimwear. Rebel Wilson has publicly suggested that MacInnes later confided she felt uncomfortable when Ghost requested they shower and bathe together. MacInnes denies making a formal complaint and says the suggestion that she made and then retracted a complaint has seriously damaged her reputation and prospects. What happened in court this week MacInnes gave emotional evidence in the Federal Court, describing how the aftermath of the Bondi incident left her confused and distressed. She told the court she feared the suggestion she had complained about Ghost would harm her relationships and standing with the cast and crew. On returning to the witness box she said she felt ridiculed by an Instagram story posted by Wilson’s wife, Ramona Agruma‑Wilson, which showed the Finding Nemo character Dory with the caption: “I suffer from short term memory loss … or do I? I can’t remember.” MacInnes said the post mocked her testimony that she could not remember details of four years of travel. Her barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, told the judge the post was relevant to a claim for aggravated damages because it made MacInnes feel “awful.” Amanda Ghost has also given evidence about the support she provided to MacInnes during auditions and after the Bondi incident. Ghost told the court she had encouraged the young actor and at one point shared another actor’s audition tape to help MacInnes prepare for a role. Privacy, social media and reputations The exchanges in court highlight how quickly private disputes can spill into the public sphere when social media is involved. MacInnes’s lawyers argue that posts by high‑profile figures have tangible consequences for a young actor trying to build a career. Key issues the case raises include: - Account security: who had access to a private Snapchat account and how images reportedly spread. - Online conduct: the duty of public figures when discussing others on social platforms. - Legal and reputational impact: how courts should weigh reputational harm caused by social posts and the consequences for small productions and careers. Those issues matter beyond this single dispute. They can affect how producers, casting directors and investors judge the viability of a project if cast members are embroiled in public legal fights, particularly for a small film such as The Deb that relied on local production networks and a limited budget.Related Articles
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Both Rebel Wilson and Ramona Agruma‑Wilson are expected to give evidence in the second week of the Federal Court trial.
This article was created with AI assistance.
