‘Absolute nonsense’: Rebel Wilson denies bullying actor suing her for defamation

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","dateModified":"2026-04-28T01:25:52Z","datePublished":"2026-04-27T23:41:20Z","description":"The Hollywood star is being sued for defamation by the young star of her directorial debut The Deb, over a series of posts on Instagram.","headline":"‘Absolute nonsense’: Rebel Wilson denies bullying actor suing her for defamation","keywords":"Defamation, Courts, Rebel Wilson, Australian film, For subscribers, Just in","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michaela Whitbourn","jobTitle":"Legal Affairs and Investigations reporter","url":"/by/michaela-whitbourn-hvf5w"}],"mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/rebel-wilson-arrives-at-court-to-give-evidence-in-defamation-fight-20260428-p5zrk0.html","@type":"WebPage"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","height":"1322.6666666666665","url":"https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.42386148148148145%2C$multiply_0.7025%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_654%2C$y_305/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/1c10f876a4b3fcf1f440b2f75d7b370c8d21b438","width":"744"},"isAccessibleForFree":false,"hasPart":[{"@type":"WebPageElement","isAccessibleForFree":false,"cssSelector":".paywall"}],"publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","name":"The Sydney Morning Herald","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","height":"628","url":"https://www.smh.com.au/metro-assets/assets/static/smh.png","width":"1200"},"url":"https://www.smh.com.au"},"isPartOf":{"@type":["CreativeWork","Product"],"name":"The Sydney Morning Herald","productID":"smh.com.au:webonly"}}{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/national","name":"National"},"position":1},{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw","name":"NSW"},"position":2},{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/topic/defamation-1lz3","name":"Defamation"},"position":3}]}AdvertisementNationalNSWDefamation‘Absolute nonsense’: Rebel Wilson denies bullying actor suing her for defamationMichaela WhitbournUpdated April 28, 2026 — 11:25am,first published April 28, 2026 — 9:41amSaveYou have reached your maximum number of saved items.Remove items from your saved list to add more.ShareAAAWatch the hearing live here from 9.30am (AEST) via the Federal CourtHollywood actor Rebel Wilson has rejected as “absolute nonsense” an allegation that she bullied a star of her directorial debut and denied orchestrating an anonymous smear campaign against one of her co-producers.Wilson, 46, is being sued for defamation in the Federal Court by actor and singer Charlotte MacInnes, 27, over comments posted on Instagram.Rebel Wilson arrives at court to give evidence in her defamation case.Janie BarrettThe Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids actor started giving evidence in the Federal Court case in Sydney on Tuesday. She is set to be cross-examined by MacInnes’ barrister, Sue Chrysanthou, SC, for two days.Advertisement“As you sit here, truthfully, do you still say that you regard yourself as a champion of women?” Chrysanthou asked, in a reference to a statement Wilson made in her written evidence.“Yes,” Wilson said.Chrysanthou put to Wilson that she had “bullied and harassed” MacInnes “publicly and privately” rather than championing her.“That’s absolute nonsense,” Wilson said.MacInnes, a lead actor in Australian musical film The Deb, alleges Wilson defamed her by suggesting she was a “sellout” and a liar who recanted a complaint about one…

This excerpt is published under fair use for community discussion. Read the full article at The Sydney Morning Herald.