Rebel Wilson sued for defamation by 'The Deb' producers

Rebel Wilson sued for defamation by producers from ‘The Deb’ after actor called them out

Rebel Wilson posing in a blue dress and smiling to one side.

July 12, 2024 5:43 PM PT

Three producers on Rebel Wilson’s musical comedy film “The Deb” are suing the Australian actor for defamation after she accused them on social media of conspiring to sabotage the movie.

The lawsuit was filed Friday in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and Vince Holden and was reviewed by The Times.

“Rebel is a bully who will disregard the interests of others to promote her own,” the lawsuit says. It adds, “Rebel tried to intimidate Plaintiffs into giving her what she wanted by leveraging her persona and platform, with many millions of followers, to spread malicious lies about the Plaintiffs.”

The legal documents detail a dispute over writing credits for “The Deb,” which was adapted from a stage play by Hannah Reilly with music by Reilly and Megan Washington. Wilson’s production company, Sugar Productions, had acquired the rights but needed the producers’ support to move forward, the lawsuit says. The plaintiffs allege Wilson’s unprofessional behavior included abandoning the project for extended periods and making “unauthorized and improper disclosures about the film.”

The conflict escalated, according to the documents, when Wilson sought writing credit over Reilly, a young writer who had been given a scholarship by Wilson. The Australian Writers’ Guild had already ruled, in a “binding agreement,” that credit should go to Reilly, the lawsuit says.

Wilson allegedly also demanded credits for the music and insisted on external music group involvement, which the producers could not provide.

The lawsuit says that Wilson at that point “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. In addition, Rebel claimed, without any basis, that Ms. Ghost and Mr. Cameron were embezzling from the Film’s budget.”

Approximately $22 million has been invested in “The Deb,” which was set to premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival this fall, the lawsuit says. “[A]ll work was nearly complete, and it was on track to be a resounding success notwithstanding Rebel’s efforts at sabotage.”

Despite this, the plaintiffs allege, Wilson’s attempts to interfere with the film’s marketing and her spreading of false statements via social media put the film’s release in jeopardy. The producers say they attempted to resolve disputes in good faith but consider Wilson’s actions to be a deliberate effort to damage their reputations.

The film was selected last week to premiere on TIFF 2024’s closing night, Sept. 15, “but Plaintiffs had to consider carefully whether to proceed with marketing the Film while it was embroiled in numerous credit and licensing disputes instigated by Rebel,” the documents said.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys characterized Wilson as someone who had “falsely accused a fellow actor of inappropriate behavior to publicize her book,” “Rebel Rising,” which was released in the U.S. in April.

Attorneys for Wilson and for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to The Times’ requests for comment Friday.

In her Wednesday video, Wilson said the producers tried to sabotage the film and were refusing to let it premiere, something she called “vile and disgusting behavior.”

Ghost, Cameron and Holden are seeking actual damages “according to proof,” the lawsuit says.