Rebel Wilson wins court case against co-producers of The Deb, who are awarded just $10

A court in Australia has ruled largely in favour of actor Rebel Wilson in a dispute with the co-producers of her directorial debut, The Deb. On Friday, Justice Elisabeth Peden of the New South Wales supreme court awarded producers Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and Vince Holden just $10 in damages and dismissed the rest of their claim.

Wilson, known for Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids, directed, co-produced and starred in The Deb, a musical comedy. The film has become the focus of several legal battles in Australia and the US.

The producers' claims

The producers alleged that Wilson damaged their company's finances and reputation in order to reduce the film's value so that she could buy it from them. The Deb had a budget of $22m but took only $335,000 at the Australian box office. The producers say this can be traced to Wilson's false and derogatory statements about them online.

In posts from July 2024, Wilson claimed the producers had tried to block the film's release, embezzled money and behaved inappropriately towards its star.

The countersuit

Wilson denied the allegations and countersued, claiming the producers' involvement in the film was marked by a pattern of illicit and egregious behaviour, including theft, bullying and sexual misconduct. The judge awarded her $359,000 plus interest. The decision was brief and will be followed by a written judgment.

An earlier win

It is Wilson's second victory. Earlier this year, a federal court cleared her of defaming actor Charlotte MacInnes. MacInnes argued that four of Wilson's social media posts portrayed her as a liar and a sellout who retracted a sexual harassment complaint to advance her career. MacInnes denied making or retracting any complaint. The federal court found that none of Wilson's posts were defamatory.