Rebel Wilson faces Sydney court over 'The Deb' sabotage claims
Rebel Wilson appeared in a Sydney court as producers of 'The Deb' accuse her of sabotaging the film's release.
Australian actor and director Rebel Wilson appeared in the New South Wales Supreme Court in Sydney on Monday, where a British production company is suing her over her directorial debut, the 2024 musical comedy The Deb.
AI Film Production Limited alleges that Wilson undermined and blocked the release of the film, causing the company financial and reputational damage. The film's release was shelved in 2024 after Wilson fell out with co-producers Amanda Ghost, her husband Greg Cameron and Vince Holden, and it was eventually released in April this year.
The dispute centres on Wilson's social media posts from July 2024. The three AI Film co-producers say Wilson accused them of inappropriate conduct toward the film's star, Australian actor Charlotte MacInnes, of embezzling money and of trying to block the film's release. They claim Wilson and her company, Camp Sugar Productions, breached consumer law on misleading conduct and breached various contracts by making allegedly defamatory statements to her 11 million Instagram followers.
Wilson is also accused of hindering the release by undermining negotiations with potential distributors and threatening an injunction against showing the film in Australia. AI Film is seeking unspecified damages, an apology for misleading and deceptive conduct, and corrective advertising.
In a cross-claim, Wilson and Camp Sugar alleged the three co-producers' involvement in the film was marked by "a troubling pattern of illicit egregious behaviors, including theft, bullying and sexual misconduct." Wilson said Ghost broke verbal agreements over writing credits and a soundtrack album deal, and alleged Cameron and Holden embezzled 900,000 Australian dollars ($642,000) from a joint venture company set up to make the movie.
Wilson sat at the back of the courtroom on Monday and frequently typed on her phone as her lawyer, Dauid Sibtain, questioned the first witness, Holden. The hearing was adjourned until Tuesday.
The case follows a separate defamation suit Wilson won in the Federal Court in Sydney in July, brought by MacInnes. MacInnes had alleged Wilson defamed her or breached her confidence in four social media posts between September 2024 and July 2025 by falsely suggesting she had withdrawn a sexual harassment complaint against Ghost to advance her career. MacInnes denied ever making such a complaint, and a judge ruled that none of Wilson's posts were defamatory.