Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Hollywood star Rebel Wilson has slammed as “outrageous” an accusation she directed a cyber attack on her co-star’s social media account that led to a nude photo leak.
The Pitch Perfect star is being sued for defamation by Charlotte MacInnes, the 27-year-old lead actor of the musical comedy The Deb, which is Wilson’s directorial debut.
MacInnes claims she was defamed by Wilson in social media posts that suggested she is a liar who retracted a sexual harassment complaint to further her acting and music career.
Wilson alleges the young actor confided she felt uncomfortable when the film’s co-producer Amanda Ghost asked to have a shower and a bath together in September 2023, but later reneged.
MacInnes denies making or walking back a complaint, insisting she never said she felt uncomfortable.
She claims she has been bullied and intimidated by Wilson and blamed her for organising a hack on her social media account which led to her nude photo being leaked.
MacInnes revealed her Snapchat account had been breached and there has been an attempted breach of her Facebook account just days after she filed legal proceedings against Wilson in September 2025.
“I believe that this was orchestrated by Rebel,” she wrote in an affidavit filed to the court.
“It was completely terrifying and caused me a new kind of anxiety.”
Wilson was asked whether she had arranged the cyber attack during her third day in the witness box of the Federal Court on Thursday.
“That is an absolutely outrageous statement to make in court that I moonlight as a hacker,” she replied.
When pressed on whether she had directed someone else to carry the hack out on her behalf, the Bridesmaids star retorted “obviously not”.
She similarly labelled an accusation of stalking the young actor to ascertain her whereabouts as outrageous.
MacInnes’ barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC suggested Wilson raised the alleged complaint with others after she knew MacInnes had said it was “all good” for her own purposes.
“I received no benefit from this experience that led to a court case,” the first-time director replied.
“All I have done is told the truth at significant cost to myself, at significant detriment.”
Wilson claimed she had been bullied and harassed because she continued to tell the truth to people, some of whom were extremely rich and powerful.
In response to a suggestion she herself is rich and powerful compared to MacInnes, Wilson said the young actor appeared to be living a luxurious international lifestyle.
Ms Chrysanthou previously argued Wilson falsely portrayed herself as a whistleblower who sought to protect MacInnes when she had instead used the alleged complaint as leverage in a commercial dispute with her co-producers.
Wilson has rejected the claim and any accusations of bullying MacInnes, saying she regards herself as a champion of women.
Her barrister Dauid Sibtain SC contends MacInnes made the complaint and then changed her story to ensure her career thrived with Ms Ghost’s assistance.
He has argued MacInnes’ career has progressed and she hasn’t suffered any harm to her reputation as a result of the social media posts, contrary to her allegations.
