Australian star Rebel Wilson has been sued for defamation after she accused the producers of her new film The Deb of embezzlement and misconduct.
Wilson took to Instagram earlier this week, accusing three producers of preventing the film’s premiere at the Toronto Film Festival because of her allegations.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Aussie Hollywood star Rebel Wilson sued by her producers.
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The Deb, a musical about two teenage girls attending a debutante ball in a small Australian country town, is Wilson’s first movie as director.
Wilson said being selected to close the festival was “huge”, but her joy was ruined by the alleged actions of her businesses partners Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and executive producer Vince Holden.
“To have the business partners that are involved in that movie turn around and say, ‘no the movie can’t premiere’ is just beyond devastating,” Wilson said in the video.
“They’re saying it can’t come out, they can’t release it, they might bury it. This is the work of hundreds of people who put their heart and soul into this.”
Wilson alleged in October last year there was “bad behaviour towards the lead actress of the film” and embezzlement of funds from the film’s budget.
“Since I reported that behaviour, I have been met with absolute viciousness and retaliatory behaviour … every step of the way, these people that I complained about tried to make my life hell,” Wilson said in the video.
Ghost, Cameron and Holden have vigorously denied Wilson’s claims and filed a defamation lawsuit in Los Angeles on Friday, Variety reported.
They are being represented by Johnny Depp’s former attorney, Camille Vasquez.
Court documents, obtained by numerous media outlets and posted online, allege Wilson is pushing for co-authorship of the screenplay and rights to the film’s original music.
It states, Wilson contested the music writing credit of her “protégé,” scholarship recipient Hannah Reilly, with the Australian Writers’ Guild at the end of 2023.
The Guild gave Wilson an “additional writing by” credit, but Wilson argues the decision was flawed.
The court documents allege Wilson “was to get credit for work she did not do” whilst “overshadow(ing) young, upcoming artists”.
It also alleges “unprofessional” conduct from the Pitch Perfect star, claiming she was absent from set for extended periods of time and threatened financiers with “exposing” them on Instagram.
“Rebel is a bully who will disregard the interests of others to promote her own,” said a lawyer for the producers in the filing obtained by Variety.
“(Wilson) revived a fictitious story about Ms Ghost sexually harassing a lead actor in The Deb that has absolutely no basis in reality, as the actor that is the subject of this defamatory tale has repeatedly confirmed,” the suit further claimed.
According to various outlets, Wilson’s team has not yet responded to questions about the suit.
