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MacInnes Appeals Dismissal of Defamation Suit Against Wilson

7/25/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Charlotte MacInnes appealed Thursday, contesting the Federal Court’s dismissal of her defamation suit against Rebel Wilson.
Justice Elizabeth Raper had found Instagram posts from July 2024–July 2025 non-defamatory and ordered MacInnes to pay Wilson’s legal costs.
The appeal alleges judicial error, false evidence, document destruction, denied procedural fairness, and asks for a new trial or reversal of the cost order.

History

Historical Context

Justice William Brennan’s unanimous 9-0 1964 ruling in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan required public officials to prove actual malice, a standard later extended to public figures and guiding U.S. defamation law for fifty years. Challenges by Justice Clarence Thomas and suits such as Steve Wynn’s 2025 petition show the rule’s influence as Charlotte MacInnes’s appeal questions whether her 2024-2025 Instagram posts meet that heightened threshold.

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Story summary

Charlotte MacInnes appealed Thursday, contesting the Federal Court’s dismissal of her defamation suit against Rebel Wilson.
Justice Elizabeth Raper had found Instagram posts from July 2024–July 2025 non-defamatory and ordered MacInnes to pay Wilson’s legal costs.
The appeal alleges judicial error, false evidence, document destruction, denied procedural fairness, and asks for a new trial or reversal of the cost order.

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