Rebel Wilson is the subject of three legal claims tied to the stalled release of the Australian musical comedy The Deb, with co-producers accusing the actor and director of sabotaging the film so she can buy it at a reduced price.
Production company AI Film says in a claim filed in the New South Wales Supreme Court that Wilson engaged in conduct "for the purpose of damaging [its] business and reputation" and attempted to pressure AI Film and a joint-venture entity to sell The Deb to her company Camp Sugar for a "significantly reduced price." The Deb was produced jointly by AI Film and Wilson’s Camp Sugar and its rights were held by a joint venture called Dunburn Debutantes Commissioning Company (DDCC), according to court documents.
The legal actions include a U.S. defamation suit brought by three of the film’s producers, an Australian damages claim by AI Film, and a concerns notice from The Deb’s leading actor, 26-year-old Charlotte MacInnes, threatening defamation proceedings in either the NSW or Western Australian Supreme Court. The producers’ U.S. lawsuit alleges Wilson made false and derogatory public statements about them, including accusations of sexual harassment, embezzlement and obstructing the film’s release. The producers have denied those claims.
AI Film’s NSW claim says Wilson publicly accused producers Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and Vince Holden of inappropriate behaviour and other wrongdoing in mid-2024 on social media, conduct the company says threatened potential distribution and sales opportunities. AI Film also cites correspondence it says suggests Wilson’s representatives sought to buy the film outright and that her lawyer, Bryan Freedman of Linear Freedman Taitelman + Cooley, warned AI Film not to interfere with that business opportunity.
Solicitor Patrick George of Giles George wrote to Wilson’s lawyer last December, according to the filing, noting that Australian distributors had expressed interest in acquiring the film and that Wilson’s support was "vital and fundamental to its sale and successful release." AI Film alleges that subsequent correspondence from Wilson’s lawyer included "further disparaging comments" about Ghost and Cameron and asserted that Wilson was "in active discussions to outright purchase" The Deb and its associated rights.
AI Film issued a statement after lodging its lawsuit saying the proceedings were "regrettable but essential to ensure The Deb's timely release" and describing the movie as "joyous" and likely to be enjoyed by audiences. MacInnes also issued a statement saying she loves the film and hopes the legal steps will help secure its release.
MacInnes has denied the harassment allegations. Court filings in Los Angeles include her statement that she informed Wilson she was never sexually harassed and that she had been "deeply disturbed by this behaviour by Wilson, who was the director of the film and in a position of authority over me." MacInnes has told media she raised the matter with the film team when the issue first surfaced and later publicly rejected the allegations.
Wilson has defended herself on social media, calling the Australian action "spiteful toxic behaviour" and saying she nurtured The Deb from a three-page idea into a feature film over five years. In an Instagram post she said she wanted the film released and described the producers' conduct as attempts to block distribution. She also released the film’s opening song and wrote that if the film would not be distributed she would at least make its music available.
Wilson has filed a cross-claim in the Supreme Court matter. The direction hearing for the Australian proceedings is listed for Oct. 17. Requests for comment to Wilson’s U.S. management and to representatives for the producers were not responded to, according to court filings and media correspondence cited by AI Film.
The Deb, featuring Wilson alongside Natalie Abbott, Charlotte MacInnes and Stevie Jean, remains unreleased in cinemas more than a year after completion, and the intertwined legal disputes in Australia and the United States are likely to be determinative of its commercial future.