SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An Australian court has cleared Rebel Wilson of defaming the star of her directorial debut, “The Deb,” in social media posts.
Charlotte MacInnes alleged Wilson defamed her or breached her confidence in four social media posts from September 2024 to July 2025 by falsely suggesting she had withdrawn a sexual harassment complaint against one of the film’s producers to advance her career.
MacInnes denied ever making such a complaint but Justice Elizabeth Raper of the Federal Court of Australia ruled Wednesday that none of Wilson’s posts were defamatory.
The dispute stemmed from an incident in September 2023 when MacInnes and the producer went swimming at Sydney’s Bondi Beach before later sharing a bath at the apartment where they were staying. Wilson later said on Instagram that MacInnes told her the next day that the producer had asked her to bathe and shower with her, making her feel uncomfortable, but that MacInnes later retracted the complaint.
Raper ruled that MacInnes failed to prove Wilson’s posts caused serious harm to her reputation or that Wilson breached her confidence. She dismissed the case and ordered MacInnes to pay costs, according to a written judgement provided by the court.
Wilson, who starred in the “Pitch Perfect” films and “Bridesmaids,” thanked the judge and Australia’s legal system in an Instagram post, calling the ruling a “substantial win” and saying she looked forward to moving on.
MacInnes’ legal representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The Deb,” a musical comedy about two teenage girls preparing for a debutante ball in a small rural town, is reportedly set for a U.S. digital release on Aug. 25.
FILE - Rebel Wilson arrives at the premiere of "Young Woman and the Sea" on Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP,File)
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Madison police officer shot and killed a man who had injured him with a knife while resisting arrest, the city's police chief said Wednesday.
Cellphone video of the shooting circulated on social media shortly after the incident. Three gunshots can be heard on the cellphone video.
Madison Police Chief John Patterson stressed at a news conference that the footage circulating was just one perspective of what happened.
“I want to take a moment to honestly and sincerely offer my heartfelt sympathies to his family for this loss," Patterson said. The dead man was in his 30s, Patterson said, but police did not release his name.
The shooting happened on a city street in a popular neighborhood lined with restaurants, bars, shops and residential homes less than two miles from the state Capitol. Footage of the incident shows numerous cars stopped in the intersection with people watching as it unfolded.
A white police officer shot and killed Tony Robinson, who was biracial, on the same street in 2015, a shooting that spurred large protests. The district attorney did not file charges against police in that incident, determining the officer was justified.
The race of the officer who fired his gun on Wednesday and that of the man killed were not released by police. But advocates for the Black community in Madison said the man killed was Black.
“Another Black man is dead on a Madison street, and our community watched him die before we even knew his name,” said Brandi Grayson, the head of the Madison-based Black community advocacy group Urban Triage. “That is the cruelty of state violence.”
A crowd formed near where the shooting occurred on Wednesday with people chanting, “Arrest the cops!”
They placed flowers and candles where the man was shot and held a vigil.
Protesters also marched to the Wisconsin State Capitol and took the stage at a summer concert series, demanding the name of the officer and that he be held accountable. The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra announced on social media the show was canceled.
Police were responding to calls that someone was attempting to enter parked vehicles in the neighborhood, Patterson said. The suspect fled on a bike through nearby backyards in an attempt to get away before officers contacted him in the street, Patterson said.
The suspect either fell off of his bike or was taken off of his bike by officers and during the struggle pulled out a knife and injured an officer, Patterson said. Police posted a picture of the knife in a news release.
An officer deployed a taser but it was unsuccessful, the chief said. The same officer who was injured by the knife fired his weapon and the man who was shot died later at the hospital, the chief said. He described the officer who fired his weapon as a veteran officer, but did not reveal any other details.
Another officer was injured, but it is not clear how, Patterson said. The other two officers were uninjured.
The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation will investigate the shooting because it involves police officers. The four responding officers will be placed on administrative leave, per the police department's policy.
Attendees gather at a candlelight vigil where a Madison police officer shot and killed a man Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
An attendee reacts at a candlelight vigil where a Madison police officer shot and killed a man Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Attendees gather at a candlelight vigil where a Madison police officer shot and killed a man Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Protesters march after a Madison police officer shot and killed a man Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Protesters march after a Madison police officer shot and killed a man Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Protesters march after a Madison police officer shot and killed a man Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Protesters march after a Madison police officer shot and killed a man Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
Protesters march after a Madison police officer shot and killed a man Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
