Rebel Wilson Calls ‘The Deb’ Legal Battle Her “Worst Nightmare”

Rebel Wilson has broken her silence on the legal battles surrounding her directorial debut, The Deb. In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Wilson called the situation her “worst nightmare” and said it felt like “people trying to sling mud at me.”

The Pitch Perfect star is facing multiple lawsuits, including claims of defamation and breach of contract from the film’s U.K. producers, Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron, and Vince Holden — as well as actress Charlotte MacInnes. Wilson has responded with a countersuit, defending her actions.

“It came out of left field, these issues, and yeah, it was horrible to deal with and I had to try to navigate it professionally,” she said.

Wilson alleged that during production in 2023, she and local producers were “locked in a room” and pressured to sign documents under threat of the film being canceled and crew members losing work. “At the time, I said, ‘What is this? Is this like the KGB?’” she recalled.

Wilson described herself as the target of “incessant bullying and harassment” for speaking out about the producers’ behavior. She also accused them of attempting to take nearly a million Australian dollars from the budget, which the producers deny.

The legal dispute also involves allegations of se**** harassment against MacInnes by Ghost. Wilson said she reported the incidents as part of her responsibility as director. “I felt, in my position as director, I had to report that, and the moment I did started all the retaliation against me,” Wilson said. MacInnes has disputed these claims and filed defamation proceedings, arguing that Wilson’s social media posts damaged her reputation.

Wilson also addressed accusations that she was involved in malicious websites targeting the producers, calling the claims “absolutely untrue.” “I have zero to do with that,” she said. She added that she did not direct followers to the sites or notify Ghost’s associates about them.

Regarding the film’s delayed premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024, Wilson denied that the producers withheld it because of ongoing disputes. “They knew it would be good for me as a first-time female director to have that profile, and they blocked it as part of their retaliation for me speaking up against them,” she said. The film ultimately premiered at TIFF, but the legal battles continued.

Recently, Wilson scored a procedural win in her defense. On November 5, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Thomas Long approved a request to have MacInnes clarify her relationship with Ghost in the U.K., with a deposition expected in December of this year or early 2026.

The Deb is scheduled for release in January 2026 in Australia and New Zealand, though it currently lacks a North American distributor. Meanwhile, Wilson has moved on to her next project, a musical comedy titled Girl Group, which will star Jennifer Coolidge and Nicole Scherzinger alongside her.

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