The producers of the movie The Deb have been denied an interim injunction in the New South Wales supreme court to stop Rebel Wilson, who directed the film, pursuing a legal case against them in the US.
The Deb producers and their company AI Film are suing Wilson and her company Camp Sugar in the supreme court for allegedly breaking several contracts. At Friday’s hearing they sought interlocutory relief, requesting an urgent temporary injunction to stop Wilson pursuing a countersuit in California, where she is being sued for defamation by the producers.
The court heard on Friday that earlier this month the star of The Deb, Charlotte MacInnes, was served a deposition in Los Angeles demanding she appear before a hearing in California later this month.
Justice James Hmelnitsky denied the request for the interim injunction, on the grounds that an application for a final injunction would be heard before the US case progressed.
Wilson was represented at Friday’s interlocutory hearing by Declan Roche SC.
After the hearing Wilson’s legal team said in a statement she strenuously denied any wrongdoing and had “repeatedly emphasised that her concerns were to ensure a safe workplace during the filming of the The Deb and then to see the movie released”.
The hearing came as the producers announced overnight that they had finally secured a distributor for The Deb after months of delays due to the escalating legal battle now raging on two continents, with each side accusing the other of deliberately sabotaging the film’s release.
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MacInnes’s Sydney barrister, Sue Chrysanthou, told the court that if a temporary injunction was not given, the plaintiffs and witnesses would be forced into a costly battle defending themselves in California, where legal costs cannot be recovered. Chrysanthou said the issues ought to be determined by courts in NSW, where the movie was filmed.
Wilson served an amended cross-complaint on Wednesday on The Deb producers Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and Vince Holden and their company AI Film in London, raising claims of financial misconduct, coercion and harassment against the producers.
Chrysanthou said these issues were already being litigated in Australia and that Wilson previously agreed they should be resolved under NSW jurisdiction.
Wilson is being sued in the supreme court by AI Film on the grounds her actions allegedly broke several contracts, including agreements relating to her role as a shareholder, director, producer and actor in The Deb. They also accuse her of misleading or deceptive conduct under Australian consumer law and of making harmful false statements on her Instagram account.
Wilson’s legal team has submitted a defence denying the allegations that she sabotaged the release of The Deb, and asserting that she had raised legitimate concerns about the producers’ alleged misconduct and financial mismanagement.
In the US defamation case, the producers allege Wilson’s decision to ignore MacInnes’s repeated denials of abuse showed Wilson acted with knowledge and malice, to promote a narrative that harmed both MacInnes and Ghost. Court documents also allege that Wilson orchestrated a smear campaign involving malicious websites targeting both women, portraying Ghost as an “Indian Ghislaine Maxwell” and MacInnes as complicit, with Wilson implying MacInnes denied being a victim in exchange for a lead role and a record deal.
MacInnes has strongly denied these claims and on 22 September filed a defamation lawsuit in the federal court, arguing Wilson’s statements were false, malicious and damaging to her reputation and career.
On Thursday AI Film announced that Rialto Distribution has acquired the rights for The Deb in Australia and New Zealand, with plans for a wide theatrical release in January.
• This article was amended on 11 October 2025 to include the outcome of the hearing and an additional statement from Rebel Wilson’s legal team. A previous version also incorrectly said MacInnes had been served the deposition in the UK. The headline and text were further amended on 13 October 2025.
