A young actor has choked back tears as she described Hollywood actor Rebel Wilson as "very difficult to be around" amid a dispute over an alleged sexual harassment complaint.
Charlotte MacInnes felt like she had her big break when she was cast in musical comedy The Deb, set in rural NSW and directed and co-produced by Wilson.
But she later sued the Pitch Perfect star over social media posts which claimed the young actor had complained about feeling uncomfortable after bathing with co-producer Amanda Ghost in their swimwear.
Wilson's social media posts suggested MacInnes had dishonestly retracted the complaint in return for a lead role in a stage production and a record deal, the young actor claims.
"I never made a complaint to Ms Wilson," MacInnes told the Federal Court on Thursday.
Ms Ghost suffered a medical episode on Bondi Beach on September 5, 2023 and MacInnes assisted her back to an apartment they shared with others, the court was told.
In a statement about the incident, MacInnes said she ran a shower for the producer before she and another woman suggested a bath would warm her up more efficiently.
"An innocent incident occurred that Ms Wilson has exploited and mischaracterised ever since," the actor said.
Wilson's barrister Dauid Sibtain SC noted she did not mention sharing the bath with Ms Ghost, something she had since acknowledged doing.
But MacInnes rejected his suggestions that her statement was "false or at least highly misleading" because of the omission.
MacInnes maintained she had not told Wilson the producer asked her to have a shower and bathe with her and that it had made her uncomfortable.
"I never said those words," she told the court.
She was close to tears as she described her struggle to maintain a professional and lighthearted relationship with Wilson in the aftermath of the allegations.
Quizzed about whether she had been introduced to actors Cate Blanchett and Margot Robbie by Wilson "under sufferance", the young actor said she had tried to keep things lighthearted.
"It's very difficult to be around Rebel," she said as her voice broke and she blinked back tears.
Rather than having a good time, MacInnes said she had been playing a role while the older actress was around.
"I was learning how to survive my interactions after learning what had been said about me," she told the court.
She had been deeply distressed when Ms Ghost stopped speaking to her after Wilson relayed the alleged complaint, MacInnes said.
She also worried about how it might affect her career before the pair reconciled.
The young actor felt her dreams were coming true when she was performing on superyachts and flying in private jets, thanks in part to the support provided by Ms Ghost.
She had prioritised meeting with Ms Ghost over attending a theatre production with Wilson and other cast members from The Deb in May 2023, four months before the alleged bath incident.
MacInnes didn't respond to Wilson's invitation and ended up dining with Ms Ghost, texts disclosed to the court reveal.
"Huge apologies again for last night ? I lost track of time," the younger actor texted Wilson the next day.
"I appreciate the apology," the Bridesmaid star replied.
"In the future, it is terribly rude to say you wanted a ticket to a show and then you don't reply or follow up ... not a great start to our working relationship."
MacInnes offered her "huge apologies" and praised the older actor as "nothing short of wonderful".
They were the first cracks in a relationship that completely fell apart when Wilson took to social media to allege the young actor had retracted her complaint to advance her career.
The Deb was released in Australia in early April after legal issues prevented its widespread release following its 2024 film festival premiere.
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