Russian oligarch funding defamation lawsuit, Rebel Wilson claims

Rebel Wilson has made the sensational allegation that defamation proceedings brought against her by The Deb co-star Charlotte MacInnes have been funded by a “Russian oligarch billionaire”.

Rebel Wilson was back in the witness box on Wednesday, 29 April, and was either accused of, or herself made, a number of dramatic allegations concerning her dispute with The Deb’s American producer, Amanda Ghost, and lead actress Charlotte MacInnes.

MacInnes brought defamation proceedings against Wilson over four Instagram posts the Pitch Perfect star made that allegedly falsely accused the young star of “flip-flopping” on a sexual harassment claim involving Ghost in a Bondi Beach penthouse apartment.

During cross-examination on Tuesday, MacInnes barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, accused Wilson of lying and making up stories.

Shortly into day two of cross-examination, Wilson’s silk, Dauid Sibtain SC, interrupted Chrysanthou to criticise her questioning, citing that an objection must be raised when it “strays into unduly annoying, harassing … or humiliating” interrogation.

“It has been put to the witness on several occasions that what she’s telling is a pack of lies and she’s made things up.

“[Wilson was asked] ‘Are you just making it up as you go along because no such occasion occurred?’ – she was able to answer that, but the question should never have been put,” Sibtain said.

Chrysanthou had been slashing into Wilson’s evidence that her phone was stolen in London, which had been put forward as a reason why certain texts and WhatsApp messages were no longer available.

The leading silk said it was around the time an employee of public relations company, The Agency Group (TAG), was subpoenaed to hand over communications to an American court for a dispute between It Ends With Us co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

Wilson has been accused of having TAG create websites that contained allegations about Ghost. Wilson has denied this.

“Are you sure your phone was stolen and you didn’t just dump it in a park?” Chrysanthou put to Wilson right before the objection.

Sibtain said the question was “offensive” in circumstances where MacInnes’ legal team had a copy of the London police report.

Justice Elizabeth Raper said the objection should go to whether there was foundation to Chrysanthou’s question, particularly because “it goes to one’s obligations to the court and to the profession”.

“It is quite distinct to say someone has, in effect, thrown away something [and] made a false police report, you have to have foundation,” Justice Raper told Chrysanthou.

In response, Chrysanthou said: “I do, Your Honour. On the same day in the United States, an order was made in a court that documents be produced by [a TAG employee] in the Blake Lively case. It was the first time the PR agency was ordered to hand documents over.

“It is the next day in London that Wilson’s phone goes missing.”

Chrysanthou said she would not press the question if it did not assist Justice Raper, but flagged that inquiries have been made into the timing of the police report and the TAG disclosure order.

During later cross-examination, tensions again flared while Wilson was giving evidence about an alleged phone call she said she had with MacInnes the day after she claimed the two spoke about the alleged sexual harassment complaint on the set of The Deb.

When it was suggested she had lied, Wilson said: “Absolutely incorrect, why would I be calling to check on her if I didn’t have the knowledge the young actress had a bath and shower with a producer?”

When Chrysanthou suggested it was a “divisive narrative”, Wilson said it was a “nightmare situation to have a financial producer living with and having a bath and shower with a young actress”.

“That actress comes to me and tells me that five weeks before shooting; it is a nightmare situation for me as a first-time director making a movie that is essentially a girl power movie,” Wilson said.

Chrysanthou alleged it was a “nightmare situation” caused by lies.

“That is nonsensical … it would not be at all in my interest to make up a sexual harassment complaint,” Wilson insisted.

“Ms Wilson, thank you for the speeches you just gave,” Chrysanthou said and was promptly interrupted by an objection from Sibtain and Justice Raper, who labelled the statement “unfair”.

Wilson accused of fabricating, making up evidence

On day one, Wilson gave evidence that other words were spoken between herself and MacInnes on the day the young actress was alleged to have confided in her that she and Ghost “had a bath and shower together” and that this had made her “feel uncomfortable”.

Wilson was unable to come up with specific words when pressed by Chrysanthou, but claimed it was a “short conversation”, that she had been “pretty shocked by it”, and she considered it a complaint.

Following up on this on Wednesday, Chrysanthou questioned why this extended conversation was not included in her affidavit.

“If I could recall the exact words, of course I would put it in the affidavit, but I could only really recall the sexual harassment complaint sentence,” Wilson said in reply.

Around this time, Wilson told the court she first learnt of the plan to have MacInnes stay in an apartment with Ghost during a production meeting over Zoom in June, about three months earlier.

Chrysanthou said this was the first time the claim was made.

“In [your affidavit], you actually say you can’t recall how you learnt about the accommodation plan,” Chrysanthou said.

“How is it that when you prepared your affidavit on 24 December [2025], you couldn’t recall how you learnt of that accommodation plan, but, in answering questions this morning, you suddenly recalled it happened during a producer meeting? Can you explain why you had this sudden revelation this morning?”

Wilson said: “That’s what I recall.”

Later, Chrysanthou questioned why a statutory declaration prepared by Wilson for United States proceedings with the producers did not include the detail that she spoke to MacInnes the day after the alleged sexual harassment disclosure.

“Did you not think it important to tell the Supreme Court of California that what happened was you raised the allegation with Ghost, and Ghost disputed it and asked you to clarify, and the next day, you did clarify the situation with MacInnes?”

Rebel said: “All I can say is this is a different proceeding, so that wasn’t relevant in the declaration I am making.”

Russian oligarch funding proceedings, star says

At one point, Wilson made the sensational claim that Soviet-born businessman and philanthropist, and majority owner of Warner Music, Sir Leonard Blavatnik, was funding the proceedings and had funded Ghost’s proceedings in the United States.

Wilson said there were members of “team Russian oligarch billionaire” flown in from Sydney, “conveniently” around the time that Ghost arrived in the country. She claimed “everyone involved” in the proceedings were beneficiaries of Blavatnik’s money.

Wilson said she and her former legal team “obviously didn’t think a young actress could fund a multimillion-dollar defamation lawsuit”.

Chrysanthou suggested to Wilson she was shown an email chain from her former Australian lawyer in which it was confirmed that “no person was funding the lawyers in these proceedings”.

Wilson pressed on: “My understanding is there is somebody [whose] funds are paying for these proceedings and all that stems from money derived from Sir Leonard Blavatnik.”

Asked for specific names of who was said to have arrived on the plane, Wilson said she does not “have passenger logs”.

“You said a team of people arrived – team Russian oligarch billionaire – you actually told us you had no idea who was on that plane or how many people,” Chrysanthou clarified.

Wilson said: “Yes, that’s correct, but it is obvious to assume that what I refer to as team Russian billionaire oligarch are the people behind the proceedings who are part of related proceedings.”

Asked if she has made this allegation to cause harm to people like MacInnes and Ghost, Wilson responded: “I guess when I give my evidence, it is based on my truthful recollections, and sometimes I am reminded by documents, sometimes I would – one-on-one makes two and [I] make a logical decision about things.”

Wilson also claimed to have received information from MacInnes social media – which she is personally blocked off – from people in what she called the “I hate Amanda Ghost fan club”.

“What has this got to do with MacInnes?” Chrysanthou asked.

Wilson said: “Amanda Ghost has initiated this case.”

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