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The feud between Rebel Wilson and the producers of her directorial debut intensifies.
On Monday night, three producers of the musical “The Deb” filed an amended complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court expanding on their allegations that the “Pitch Perfect” star defamed them when she accused them of “inappropriate behavior toward the film’s lead actress (and) misappropriation of funds from the film’s budget.” Wilson made the comments in a video posted to Instagram, in which she named the film’s producers Amanda Ghost and Gregor Cameron as well as executive producer Vince Holden. The post is still live on the social media platform.
The amended complaint paints a picture of a diva-like star who was absent from the set for months, made multiple unauthorized and inappropriate revelations about the film and is now countering by claiming she “simply made them up with actual malice” because she was angry about the end credits.
“Because Rebel shirked her professional obligations to Plaintiffs, the film, and all those dedicated to its success, she began to struggle and invent problems to mask her own failures,” the report reads. It’s also worth noting that the defamation lawsuit attempts to cast a chill on Wilson’s recent allegations that Sacha Baron Cohen sexually harassed her on the set of the 2016 R-rated comedy “The Brothers Grimsby.”
The bitter battle between Wilson and the three producers stems from a dispute over writing and music credits for the film, which revolves around two teenage girls attending a debutante ball in the outback. Wilson wanted full screenplay credit, but was given only “additional writing” credit by the Australian Writers Guild. Instead, Hannah Reilly was given sole screenplay credit. In their initial complaint, the producers said Wilson was unhappy with the guild’s decision, which was made earlier this year. “The Deb” also highlights the dangers of cancel culture in a twist the producers call “ironic” in their complaint.
The amended complaint, filed by attorneys Camille Vasquez, Samuel Moniz and Honieh Udenka, claims that Wilson “has a history of fabricating false and malicious lies to cover up his own unprofessionalism and advance his own interests.” It adds: “This lawsuit seeks to hold Rebel accountable for his attempts to intimidate Plaintiffs into giving in to his unreasonable demands by spreading vicious lies without regard for the irreparable damage his reckless words would cause to Plaintiffs’ hard-earned personal and professional reputations.”
Earlier this month, Variety reported on the producers’ lawsuit as well as a cease-and-desist letter Wilson sent to producers in June, which listed allegations of financial improprieties and sexual harassment.
Wilson, who is represented by attorney Bryan Freedman, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The producers of “The Deb” say Wilson’s scorched-earth policy is typical of his autobiography. “In his autobiography, Rebel included false allegations about alleged inappropriate behavior by well-known actor Sacha Baron Cohen,” the amended complaint states. “As a result of these false allegations, portions of his autobiography were redacted when published in the United Kingdom and Australia. Nevertheless, Rebel successfully used the furore surrounding these allegations to promote sales of his book. As in that situation, Rebel hypocritically played the victim in order to garner public sympathy in the hopes that it would advance his professional interests.” (In her memoir “Rebel Rising,” Wilson accused the “Borat” star of pressuring her to perform nude. She also claimed that he once pulled down his pants on set and said, “Okay, now I want you to stick your finger in my ass.” Cohen called the accusation “patently false.”)
The updated complaint also alleges that Wilson fought for credit from the songwriters of “The Deb” music and “demanded that Plaintiffs provide her with a record label with an outside music group (a demand that was well beyond Plaintiffs’ power to provide).”
The producers claim that Wilson, in a spirit of revenge, retaliated by posting armed accusations on a public forum. “When Rebel failed to prevail in these disputes, she resurrected a fictional story that Ms. Ghost sexually harassed a lead actor in ‘The Deb’ that has absolutely no basis in fact, as the actor who is the subject of this defamatory story has repeatedly confirmed,” the complaint continues. “Further, Rebel has claimed, without any basis, that Ms. Ghost and Mr. Cameron were embezzling funds from the film’s budget. These statements are false, and Rebel knew they were false at the time she made them.” Rebel knew that the actress in question had repeatedly and unequivocally denied any wrongdoing by Plaintiffs, but Rebel redoubled her efforts to advance her own selfish interests in her disputes with Plaintiffs, without regard for Plaintiffs or the rising young lead actress she drew into the center of her malicious scheme.
The complaint alleges that Wilson’s statements in her video were false and caused significant distress to the producers. “Rebel knew when she made these statements…that they were false, and/or acted with reckless disregard for the truth, including because she was informed by the lead actress that Ms. Ghost had done nothing inappropriate or wrong, and because she was kept fully informed of the film’s budget,” the complaint states. “At the time the statements were made, Rebel had no plausible basis and no evidence to support her allegations.”
“The Deb” landed the prestigious closing slot at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. Given the ongoing rancor, it’s unclear whether the musical will make its debut at the festival that often serves as a springboard for awards season. (In his Instagram post, Wilson claimed that the three producers are “blocking it from premiering” at TIFF.) But sources say the film, which is currently being distributed by WME, is on track to make its world premiere at the festival.