When Rebel Wilson yelled cut for the final time on her directorial debut The Deb in late 2023, there were joyous scenes among the film’s Australian cast and crew. Revelers huddled to sing Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best” at the top of their lungs and cried happy tears. At the center of the crowd stood Wilson, microphone in hand, embracing colleagues and smiling for selfies.
The celebrations would soon turn sour.
Hidden from view, a bitter dispute was brewing, pitting Wilson against The Deb’s British producers — Amanda Ghost, her husband Gregor Cameron, and Vince Holden — as well as the film’s rookie lead actress Charlotte MacInnes. The row burst into the open last year when The Deb was selected to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, casting a shadow over the musical comedy and delaying its release. Since then, it’s been a blizzard of lawsuits, with the battle playing out across five fronts in Los Angeles and Australia (timeline below).
The two camps line up like this: Wilson alleges that Ghost sexually harassed MacInnes and later colluded with the young actress to cover up what took place. Wilson also accuses Ghost, Cameron and Holden of intimidation and embezzling funds from the movie. Deadline can reveal that Wilson is not alone in raising concerns about Ghost, with sources saying that The Crow star FKA Twigs separately complained about the producer’s conduct in the music industry.
The producers and MacInnes, who share lawyers and press handlers, deny the allegations. They lodged separate defamation lawsuits against Wilson, accusing the Pitch Perfect star of pursuing an unjustified vendetta after being denied a writing credit on The Deb. They accuse Wilson of being a “bully” and a liar, who has sullied their reputation with “malicious” falsehoods, not least through a “smear website,” which made incendiary allegations about Ghost being the “Indian Ghislaine Maxwell.” Team Ghost alleges Wilson has committed perjury by denying any involvement in the website.
Wilson has been a vocal advocate for herself and even sat down with 60 Minutes Australia last month for an interview about the saga. Ghost, Cameron, Holden and MacInnes, all backed by billionaire Len Blavatnik, have largely let their legal filings do the talking. They declined to comment for this piece, as did Blavatnik.
Rebel Wilson in ‘The Deb’ (credit: AI Film)
The events have been bewildering for those who worked on The Deb in Australia. Cast and crew recall a sunny shoot, resulting in a feel-good movie about outback teens attending a debutante ball. As The Deb gears up to premiere Down Under next month, they are devastated that the film is now better known for being a blockbuster bust-up, rather than a calling card for Australian filmmaking.
The Deb dispute can be traced back to a single day in 2023, which Wilson alleges was when Ghost harassed MacInnes. Deadline has reviewed legal filings, spoken with multiple people close to the two camps, and seen leaked documents to bring you the inside story of how that one day plunged The Deb into legal chaos.
‘The Deb’s D-Day
When Wilson, 45, first went public with the breakdown in relations, she turned to her 11 million followers on Instagram. In a July 2024 video, the actress, who graduated university with a law degree, accused The Deb’s producers of “inappropriate behaviour towards the lead actress.” The claim was essentially a reference to the events of one day: September 5, 2023 — ground zero for The Deb’s legal debacle.
Recollections of this day are contained within legal filings in America and Australia, and the basic facts are not disputed by those involved. What is heavily contested is the interpretation of the events and connected allegations. Wilson’s position is that Ghost abused her power and made MacInnes uncomfortable by sharing a bath with the actress. Ghost and MacInnes do not deny that they bathed together, but both say it was a non-sexual encounter after Ghost experienced a medical incident.
Bondi Beach (credit: Getty)
Ghost, 51, was staying in a luxury rooftop apartment near Australia’s famous Bondi Beach. A former Sony Music executive who had written songs for Beyoncé and Shakira, Ghost was now scaling the heights of the movie business with the backing of Blavatnik, the billionaire owner of Access Industries. Staying with Ghost was MacInnes, an Australian actress in her early twenties, who was preparing for her first lead role and wanted a place to crash before filming.
On September 5, Ghost and MacInnes took an early evening swim in the Pacific Ocean. Legal filings on Ghost’s behalf say she suffered a “severe reaction that became a medical event” because of the cold water. The documents do not go further, but two people familiar with events say Ghost was shaking uncontrollably and came out in hives. Days later, MacInnes’ agent characterized Ghost’s reaction as “anaphylaxis,” though those close to the producer say this was not diagnosed. Instead of seeking medical intervention, Ghost turned to her young companion for support.
In her defamation lawsuit against Wilson, MacInnes recalls walking Ghost back to the apartment, where she helped “stabilise” her condition by running her a shower and a bath. Ghost and MacInnes’ court materials are vague, but people briefed on the events say the producer joined MacInnes in the bath because they were concerned that the shower was not relieving her symptoms. During the time they shared the tub, both women were in swimsuits. A third person, Pia Ashcroft, a music supervisor on The Deb, was also present and made tea for Ghost to help her recovery.
A person close to MacInnes describes her as a free-spirited Aussie, who is relaxed in the company of others. They say MacInnes wanted to remain with Ghost until her condition improved. A person close to Ghost says sharing the bath was no different from sharing a hot tub. The two sources add that once Ghost was feeling better, she asked MacInnes and Ashcroft to vacate the bathroom.
Rebel Wilson looks on as ‘The Deb’ cast members (L-R) Natalie Abbott, Charlotte MacInnes and Stevie Jean jump into the sea at a Cannes party to launch the film (credit: Getty)
Three allergy experts tell Deadline that Ghost’s medical claims are plausible. Although they did not treat Ghost, they say her symptoms were consistent with cold urticaria, a condition that can effectively render people allergic to cold water. The medical experts believe it is possible that Ghost experienced anaphylaxis as a result of the reaction, but say bathing in hot water could have exacerbated her symptoms by increasing blood flow around the body. Ghost’s reps declined to comment on private medical information.
Wilson was not a witness to what took place, but in the days following the incident, she claims MacInnes complained to her that bathing with Ghost made her “uncomfortable.” Wilson is incredulous about the medical episode, telling Access Industries founder Blavatnik it is a “fake story,” per a July 2024 email seen by Deadline. MacInnes’ position is that the medical incident was real, and she “never complained” to Wilson about bathing with her boss.
The Fallout
A source close to Wilson says she felt duty-bound to escalate her concerns to The Deb’s producers. Wilson’s position is that if a powerful male producer had bathed with a young lead actress, serious questions would be raised, regardless of MacInnes’ recollection of events. She accuses MacInnes of changing her story because she is receiving career opportunities from Ghost, including being cast in the producer’s 2024 stage adaptation of The Great Gatsby.
MacInnes has leveled a similar accusation of inconsistency against Wilson. In her Australian defamation lawsuit, she published text messages the Bridesmaids star sent Ghost shortly after the bathing incident. Wilson wrote that MacInnes had told her it was a “bizarre situation, not that she personally felt uncomfortable.” In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia last month, Wilson said the texts were evidence of her “trying to maintain professional communication” with Ghost ahead of The Deb’s shoot, and that she felt “uneasy” sending the messages.
Rebel Wilson’s texts to Amanda Ghost
MacInnes and Ghost believe that Wilson’s misconduct allegations were made in bad faith. They argue that she pursued the grievance because she was denied a writing credit on The Deb, not because she cared about the well-being of the young actress. Indeed, MacInnes’ allies say she had a strained relationship with Wilson and felt unfairly treated by the star on other occasions. Wilson refutes any tensions.
The Ghost-MacInnes camp says Wilson’s true motives were revealed in a demand letter in June 2024 (before the fight went to court), in which she sought an “amicable” resolution to her claims after reminding producers she was promised “shared writing credits.” The Australian Writers’ Guild had earlier ruled that the credit belonged to Hannah Reilly (who created The Deb under a talent scheme run by Wilson), with “additional writing” for Wilson. Wilson tells Deadline: “I do believe I wrote the majority of the shooting script of the film, but that is a separate issue to the complaint that was made to me by MacInnes.”
Furthermore, Ghost’s allies are uncomfortable about Wilson making implicit suggestions about the producer’s sexuality as part of the MacInnes allegations. In a statement to Deadline, Culture Club singer Boy George says he does not find any of Wilson’s claims to be credible, having known Ghost for more than 30 years. “The idea that she is gay is completely laughable and I know her friendship with Charlotte is one of mentor and nothing more,” he says. “I have met Charlotte and I have heard her sing and she is very special. I can see why Amanda is keen to lift her up and I hope to see Charlotte become the star she deserves to be.”
FKA Twigs Allegations
We can reveal that Wilson is not alone in raising concerns about Ghost’s conduct. FKA Twigs, recently signed by UTA, is understood to have set out her concerns about Ghost in writing last year to Atlantic Records and Blavatnik, who controls Atlantic’s parent Warner Music. Sources say FKA Twigs accused Ghost of emotional abuse and obsessive behavior, alleging that she abandoned more than a year’s worth of material for her recent album, Eusexua, because of its association with Ghost. She also alleged that Ghost delayed clearing “Wanderlust,” the one song on Eusexua featuring Ghost’s writing credit. FKA Twigs was unavailable for comment.
FKA Twigs (credit: Getty)
Ghost declined to comment on the allegations, but her position is that she has not spoken to FKA Twigs for more than four years and that “Wanderlust” did feature on Eusexua when it was released in January. A source claims that the power dynamics between FKA Twigs and Ghost are weighted in favor of the former because of her stardom, meaning it is not comparable to the MacInnes misconduct allegations.
Wilson and FKA Twigs know each other. Wilson posted an Instagram selfie with Twigs in support of her new album, while the singer-songwriter was mentioned in an email Wilson wrote to Blavatnik in July 2024. In the message seen by Deadline, Wilson named 15 entertainment industry people, including FKA Twigs, suggesting that they had bad experiences with Ghost. “All these people can’t be wrong,” Wilson wrote.
Smear Website & Embezzlement Claims
Another important thread in the legal war is the anonymous website, amandaghostsucks.com, which popped up in September 2024. The website contained unevidenced allegations that Ghost is the “Indian Ghislaine Maxwell,” which, days after being published, were then cited in Wilson’s counter-lawsuit against the producer in the Superior Court of Los Angeles.
In September 2025, Ghost and her colleagues amended their original July 2024 defamation complaint against Wilson to accuse her of commissioning the “smear website,” which they claimed contained “malevolent” and “racist” lies. In a court statement this month, Ghost said: “I have never been engaged in anything like procuring women for the wealthy, and no one other than Wilson and her agents has ever made such allegations against me. I am convinced that Wilson is behind the smear websites.”
Ghost’s evidence included messages that emerged in the It Ends with Us dispute between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, in which PR executive Melissa Nathan tells former colleague Katie Case that “Rebel wants” a “really harsh” website about “Amanda.” Ghost’s legal team, led by Camille Vasquez, are now seeking court permission to depose Case.
Texts between Melissa Nathan and Katie Case
At the end of October, Wilson filed an anti-SLAPP motion to quash Ghost’s defamation complaint, within which she “unequivocally” denied any role in “conceiving, planning, registering, directing, creating, writing, or posting the content of the websites.” In a court statement supporting Wilson’s anti-SLAPP motion, Nathan also denied any involvement in creating or writing the website.
Team Ghost said Wilson and Nathan’s statements were “perjurious,” per an L.A. filing this month. Wilson denies this, with her attorney saying she has been “honest and consistent with her claims from the start.” Nathan has been approached for comment.
Wilson was grilled about the website by 60 Minutes Australia, telling the show that Nathan was working for her former attorney Bryan Freedman, who currently represents Baldoni. The actress said she didn’t know if Nathan’s texts were “real.” Wilson added that she “gossiped” about amandaghostsucks.com with friends, but said she had “no memory” of posting the website on The Deb’s Instagram page, which Ghost alleges Wilson controlled.
In other legal fallout, Wilson has alleged that the Ghost, and her business partner Gregor Cameron, embezzled AUS $900,000 from The Deb’s $22M budget. Her L.A. court filings claim Cameron and Ghost attempted to inflate their fees and instructed Australian producers to conceal it from relevant funding bodies. Wilson stands by her allegations, despite MacInnes’ defamation suit in Australia alleging that Charles Collier, Wilson’s British agent, apologized about his client’s financial “misunderstanding” during a meeting with Ghost and Cameron in October 2023.
Wilson could have sought recourse through Screen Australia, but Deadline understands the embezzlement allegations have not been formally reported to the body. Screen Australia is responsible for administering production tax breaks and has the power to refer concerns to the Australian Taxation Office for investigation if it suspects producers have provided “false or misleading” information. Ghost and her business partners are not aware of any investigation by Australian authorities. Screen Australia declined to comment.
Wilson’s claims were dealt a blow earlier this month, when the Supreme Court of New South Wales injuncted her from pursuing the embezzlement claims in the Superior Court of Los Angeles. Camp Sugar Productions, Wilson’s production outfit, has now applied to the Supreme Court of Victoria to open up the books of Dunburn Debutantes Commissioning Company, the special purpose vehicle through which The Deb was produced.
‘The Deb’ Crew Devastation
One of the most remarkable things about The Deb is that, amid the brewing tensions, production went smoothly. Both sides of the dispute acknowledge it was a well-run shoot. A wrap video, obtained by Deadline, captures ecstatic scenes of Wilson and her colleagues dancing and singing, with young cast members mingling with The Deb’s seasoned producers.
As the legal storm burst into the open, Wilson gathered testimonials from around 30 of her cast and crew, all of whom were glowing about their experience. The messages of support were shared with Deadline by an anonymous source, but we have verified the contents of the messages. A senior crew member summed up the feeling like this: “Filmmaking is an emotional, stressful pursuit, and I can honestly say in over 30 years, I never saw anyone conduct themselves so well — with grace and good humour — as Rebel.”
Speaking to cast and crew now, there is a mood of palpable regret about the legal wranglings that overshadowed the TIFF premiere and delayed the film’s release. In an email to Wilson, one actress said the legal fight was “devastating” and that the cast WhatsApp group was “running hot” with chatter about proceedings. Merran Elliot, a script supervisor who worked closely with Wilson during the shoot, says: “It’s a great family film and [the legal fight] is a shame, a real shame.”
Reilly, The Deb’s writer, has bemoaned Wilson’s attacks on producers and MacInnes. “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,” Reilly told Variety.
“The Deb was clearly my passion project that I wanted to make in Australia, and spent years developing it. I created hundreds of jobs with this project. I didn’t want any of this drama,” Wilson tells Deadline. “All I did was make a great film as a first-time female director, but because I reported the behavior of the UK producers, I have been met with constant spiteful retaliation from them.”
Charlotte MacInnes in ‘The Deb’ (credit: AI Film)
AI Film, The Deb’s production company, has had false starts in its attempts to secure distribution and has even accused Wilson of threatening to injunct the movie. Wilson denies this and says she wants nothing more than for the feature to be released. Rialto Distribution eventually acquired rights in Australia and New Zealand, while Protagonist Pictures is handling world sales. The Deb is yet to find a home in the U.S.
A premiere is slated for January 15 in Australia, though plans have not been finalized for an event to mark the occasion. Wilson is planning to get behind efforts to promote the movie, but MacInnes’ people have made clear she has no intention of carrying out promotional work with the director. If there are red carpets to walk, efforts will be made to keep them separated. The vacuum that has opened up between The Deb’s protagonists will be unavoidably visible. With both sides seemingly unwilling to settle, The Deb’s ugly subplot will continue in a courtroom, with a trial set for October 2026 in Los Angeles.
TIMELINE OF ‘THE DEB’ LEGAL CLAIMS
July 12, 2024
Ghost, Cameron, and Holden file a Superior Court of Los Angeles defamation lawsuit against Wilson, alleging she is a liar and a bully who has smeared producers after being denied a writing credit on The Deb.October 1, 2024
Wilson files Superior Court of Los Angeles cross-complaint against The Deb producers, accusing them of “theft, bullying, and sexual misconduct.”July 24, 2025
The Deb producers file a lawsuit at the Supreme Court of New South Wales, alleging Wilson interfered with attempts to secure distribution and breached her contract.September 22, 2025
MacInnes files a defamation lawsuit against Wilson in the Federal Court of Australia, alleging that the Pitch Perfect star damaged her personal and professional reputation.November 21, 2025
Camp Sugar Productions, Wilson’s production outfit, applies to the Supreme Court of Victoria to open up the books of Dunburn Debutantes Commissioning Company, the special purpose vehicle through which The Deb was produced.
