Rebel Wilson was branded a “bully” over the way she treated the lead actress in The Deb, her directorial debut at the center of a sprawling legal battle.

The Pitch Perfect star appeared at a Sydney court on Monday to defend a defamation lawsuit from Charlotte MacInnes, who was also present at the hearing, which is being streamed on YouTube and is expected to last nine days.

MacInnes claims Wilson damaged her reputation by alleging that she was sexually harassed by The Deb producer, Amanda Ghost, and then colluded with Ghost to cover up what took place.

At the heart of the case is an incident in September 2023, when Ghost shared a bath with MacInnes in a Sydney appartment after they had been swimming on Bondi beach.

Sue Chrysanthou, MacInnes’ barrister, told the court that Ghost suffered cold urticaria after the swim, a condition that effectively renders people allergic to cold water. Ghost was shaking uncontrollably and came out in hives, with MacInnes helping her back to the appartment where they bathed together in swim suits to help warm up Ghost.

Wilson has claimed that MacInnes told her that the incident made the young actress uncomfortable. Wilson has further alleged that MacInnes later withdrew her complaint after being given career opportunities by Ghost.

MacInnes denies this and is suing Wilson over four Instagram posts. This includes one in September 2024, in which the Bridesmaids star claimed MacInnes changed her story after being cast by Ghost in a Gatsby stage show and receiving a record deal.

Sue Chrysanthou, MacInnes’ barrister, told the court that Wilson was a “bully” for “slagging” MacInnes in Instagram posts. “Ms Wilson was not a whistleblower who was seeking to protect a young actress,” she told the court. Chrysanthou argued that Wilson raised concerns about MacInnes “as leverage” amid a dispute with producers about “budgets and contracts” on The Deb.

Dauid Sibtain, Wilson’s barrister, said: “The central issue for determination in this case … is this: whether Ms MacInnes reported to Ms Wilson that she’d been asked by Ms Ghost to shower and bathe with her and whether she said it made it feel uncomfortable and whether she later changed her story.”

He added that the “wealth of prizes and opportunities” that MacInnes received following the bathing incident were becasue she “decided to tie herself to Ms Ghost.”

The court also heard that Wilson took out a defamation insurance policy in March 2024 so she could “go ballistic” about Ghost and other producers online, Chrysanthou alleged.

The Deb dispute is playing out across different fronts in Los Angeles and Australia, overshadowing the feel-good movie about outback teens attending a debutante ball. The film was finally released in Australia earlier this month, but it does not yet have a distributor in the U.S.

The case continues. Justice Elizabeth Raper is overseeing the trial.