MacInnes’ so-called “lies and support for the people blocking the film’s release” stems from allegations Wilson made that the actor had an inappropriate relationship with producer Amanda Ghost, going so far as to claim that Ghost sexually harassed MacInnes. MacInnes has denied this and turned the accusation back on Wilson. “I was deeply disturbed by this behavior, and felt very bullied and harassed by Wilson, who was the director of the film and in a position of authority over me,” MacInnes said in court documents (via Us Weekly). “Nothing that I told Wilson could reasonably have conveyed that I was reporting any misconduct, because there was no misconduct.”
Sources in the producers’ camp allege that the mess comes down to Wilson wanting a screenwriting credit for The Deb, which the Australian Writers Guild shot down. Hannah Reilly, who wrote the original stage musical, retained sole credit. The writer expressed her dismay at the proceedings in a statement to Variety, saying, “What should have been a joyous experience—a dream come true—has now been overshadowed by unnecessary drama. It’s been a heartbreaking and baffling turn of events. … What followed [the Australian Writers’ Guild ruling] has been a series of personal attacks and false accusations, most recently targeting Charlotte—who I cast in the original stage production. She’s a phenomenal talent and consummate professional who deserves to be celebrated, not dragged into chaos. I’ve been very reluctant to speak publicly, but I just want the hostility to stop so we can all move forward.”
Attorney Camille Vasquez, who represented Johnny Depp in his U.S. trial against Amber Heard, said in a statement on behalf of The Deb‘s producers that Wilson’s behavior all comes down to jealousy and her “obsession with taking credit where none is deserved.” But besides the Instagram posts (which are admittedly plenty eyebrow-raising on their own), the Variety report contains little of Wilson’s side of the story. One source “close” to the Pitch Perfect star seemingly refuted the writing credit issue and said the dispute stems from “a clash of personalities” between Wilson and Ghost, but didn’t give much other context for her social media rant. A representative for Rebel Wilson told the outlet, “The entire Deb crew is looking forward for the film to finally be shown to the world. Rebel is so proud of this film and in awe of all of the hard work everyone involved put into the creation of her directorial debut.” You can read the full piece here.
