A Sydney court has ruled that Rebel Wilson did not defame her fellow actress Charlotte MacInnes, bringing an end to one strand of the bitter legal dispute surrounding Wilson's directorial debut, The Deb. Justice Elizabeth Raper found in Wilson's favour after MacInnes sued over four Instagram posts in which Wilson discussed a 2023 incident involving The Deb producer Amanda Ghost, ruling that MacInnes had changed her account of the events and had failed to prove the posts caused or were likely to cause her serious harm.

The case centred on an incident in September 2023, when Ghost and MacInnes shared a bath, fully clothed in swimwear, after Ghost suffered a medical episode following a swim at Bondi Beach. Wilson had alleged MacInnes told her the encounter made her uncomfortable and that she later withdrew a harassment complaint after being offered career opportunities by Ghost; MacInnes denied feeling uncomfortable and sued over Wilson's public comments. Wilson called the ruling, delivered on Wednesday, a relief, though the wider dispute continues, with Ghost and other Deb producers pursuing a separate US lawsuit against Wilson.