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Rebel Wilson Supported by ‘The Deb’ Cast After Being Sued by Producers for Defamation
Rebel Wilson was supported by The Deb cast and crew after she was sued by producers of the comedic production for defamation last week.
“With over 60 years of experience as a performer, but making my debut in film, I can say I’ve never been part of a more joyous and inclusive experience,” actor Dolores Dunbar, who was involved in the production, said in an exclusive statement to Page Six. “Since then, I’ve shared with family and friends how, as a director, [Wilson] surpassed my expectations.”
The Deb marked Wilson’s directorial debut. On July 12, the film’s producers Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron, and Vince Holden sued the Pitch Perfect actress, 44, following her accusations of inappropriate behavior on set and embezzlement of production funds. Several cast members of the production have publicly supported the actress amid the messy legal battle.
“I found Rebel to be incredibly supportive and collaborative on set not only to myself, but also to those around me during filming and at all other times,” Shane Jacobson, another person who worked with the comedian, exclusively told Page Six of his experience. “I would be more than happy to put my hand up to be directed [by] Rebel Wilson again anytime in the future.”
Meanwhile, Emmy-nominated composer Michael Yezerski told the outlet that working with the Rebel Rising author, 44, was “one of the great joys” of his career.
Rebel went public with the allegations against production on July 10, in a lengthy video on Instagram. She revealed that The Deb was selected for the prestigious closing spot of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September, however, the “business partners” involved in the movie “turned around” and said it “can’t premiere.”
“This dates back to October of last year, where I discovered bad behavior by these business partners,” she told her followers, before directly mentioning Ghost, Cameron, and Holden. “I reported their bad behavior when I find out, not minor things, big things.”
Rebel accused the trio of “inappropriate behavior toward the lead actress of the film and embezzling funds from the film’s budget,” adding, “Which we really needed ‘cause we’re a small movie. So kind of, really important things.”
The actress said after she made the allegations public, she was met with “absolute viciousness and retaliatory behavior.”
Two days after Rebel’s viral video, the three business partners mentioned in the clip filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming that the Bridesmaids actress lied in an attempt to release The Deb at TIFF and secure a writing credit on the film.
The legal filing detailed a “combative” relationship between Rebel and the three business partners mentioned, alleging she “refused to collaborate with them, deserted the production for months at a time and repeatedly made unauthorized and inappropriate disclosures about the movie,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The dispute allegedly came to a boiling point when Rebel attempted to claim a writing credit from Hannah Reilly, a recipient of her theater scholarship. This was despite a decision from the Australian Writers’ Guild in March, which determined that the screenplay credit rightfully belonged to Reilly. Rebel was instead given an “additional writing by” credit.
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