A Sydney court clears Australian actor and filmmaker Rebel Wilson of defamation brought by Charlotte MacInnes, the lead actress in Wilson’s directorial debut *The Deb*. MacInnes alleged Wilson defamed her through social media posts, including an Instagram post made in 2024. The court finds the challenged statements were not defamatory and did not cause the level of reputational harm claimed by MacInnes. One report says the court viewed a key allegation—relating to MacInnes changing her account of events in a bathroom—as substantially true. Multiple outlets report that the case was dismissed, leaving Wilson “cleared” of the defamation claims.

The dispute has not fully ended, however. Deadline and Variety report that MacInnes seeks to continue the matter by filing an appeal after the Federal Court of Australia ruled in Wilson’s favour. The appeal challenges the findings related to the social media posts and the conclusion that Wilson did not defame MacInnes or cause serious harm. Other outlets describe the outcome as a clearance in the original defamation proceeding.