Australian star Rebel Wilson is facing a defamation lawsuit after she accused the producers of her new film of embezzlement and misconduct in a racy Instagram video.
Wilson made the shocking allegations against the three producers – Amanda Jost, Gregor Cameron and executive producer Vince Holden – of her film The Deb in a video she posted to her 11 million Instagram followers this week.
The Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids star said her film was selected to close the Toronto International Film Festival but claimed “business partners” wouldn’t allow The Deb to be screened.
In the video, she mentions Ms. Jost, Mr. Cameron and Mr. Holden, then claims that she “discovered bad behavior” towards one of the film’s lead actresses and that money for the film was misappropriated.
“Since I reported this behavior, I have been met with absolute brutality and retaliatory behavior,” Wilson said in the video.
“Every step of the way, these people I complained about tried to make my life hell.”
Ms Wilson said her film being chosen to close the festival was “huge”, but the alleged decision not to allow it was “devastating”.
“They say he can’t be taken out, they can’t release him, they might bury him,” she added.
“This is the work of hundreds of people who put their hearts and souls into this.”
But the three producers vehemently deny the allegations and have since filed a defamation lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court in California, in the US.
In court documents seen by Newswire, Ms. Jost, Mr. Cameron and Mr. Holden alleged that Ms. Wilson “has a history of fabricating false and malicious lies to conceal her lack of professionalism and advance her own self-interest.”
They allege that Ms. Wilson sought to claim the film’s writing rights from her “protégé” and demanded that the plaintiffs provide her with a record label with an outside music group.
“Rebel’s goal in these numerous disputes was to take credit for work she did not do, and to obscure young, emerging artists who truly deserve credit,” the trio allege in the documents.
The trio also allege that Ms. Wilson “brought to life a fictional story” about Ms. Jost sexually harassing a lead actor in The Deb “when (Ms. Wilson) did not get what she wanted in these disputes — before the alleged embezzlement allegations were made.”
“Each of these insinuations is patently false and easily disproven,” the documents state.
The three producers are seeking actual damages, plus costs and expenses.
In an Instagram post, Ms Wilson responded: “It’s not defamation if it’s the truth (those ‘producers’ I mentioned in my last post have filed a defamation lawsuit against me and sent it to the press)!”
She continued: “Let our wonderful film be shown in Toronto and stop playing around with this ridiculous defamation lawsuit against me!”
“The Deb,” a musical comedy about two teenage girls attending a dance in a small country town, is Wilson’s directorial debut.
