Ex-agent Charles Collier criticises 'car crash' legal battle with Rebel Wilson over ‘The Deb’

Charles Collier, Rebel Wilson‘s former agent in the UK, has shared a candid opinion on the legal turmoil surrounding The Deb while testifying in an Australian trial.

Joining a Sydney court session from the UK via video, Collier labeled the situation a “car crash” caused by personality clashes on the indie film, which marks Wilson’s first time directing.

Wilson faces a defamation lawsuit from Charlotte MacInnes, the leading actress in The Deb. 

MacInnes argues that Wilson damaged her reputation by alleging she made a sexual harassment complaint against The Deb producer Amanda Ghost, which she later withdrew for career reasons.

Wilson states that MacInnes confided in her about feeling uneasy after a September 2023 incident where she and Ghost shared a bathtub while in swimsuits.

Collier, who showed visible frustration with the legal chaos surrounding The Deb, mentioned trying to aid Wilson in smoothing over the discord between her and Ghost that followed the bathtub incident.

He shared his wish to consult with Danny Cohen, president of Access Industries, the backer of The Deb, about the dispute, preferring discussions with the “adults in the room,” instead of addressing Ghost directly.

He continued: “I remember thinking, ‘Oh, this is really unfortunate. We’ve gotten this film started, and now everyone’s at odds.’ We definitely advised Rebel to speak to Danny Cohen, so he, as the ultimate overseer for the financier and producer, could gather everyone and resolve it. Here we are [in court] a few years later, evidently struggling to manage these disagreements.”

Collier delivered his testimony in the early UK hours, pausing to sip coffee from a china cup and even yawning audibly at one moment. 

Whether a complaint was made to Wilson by MacInnes or not, Collier clearly believed that Ghost acted unprofessionally by bathing with the young actress.

In an email to Cohen in October 2023, he labeled the event — which Ghost and MacInnes claimed was not sexual and resulted from a health scare at Bondi Beach — as a “red flag issue.”

Collier urged the former BBC executive to address the problem by removing Ghost from The Deb shoot in Australia.

The court reviewed an email Collier had sent to Wilson, explaining his attempt to include an “ethic” clause in Ghost’s producer contract. 

This clause aimed to allow the production team to pause or end Ghost’s agreement if she behaved improperly “before or during the term of the contract.”

He explained that the clause was a tactic to “expose her actions” following the bathtub event. 

“We’re crafting language to challenge Amanda Ghost as a producer, indicating that professional and ethical norms are expected of her, and no decent producer would refuse to agree to this clause,” Collier elucidated.

He added: “If Amanda hadn’t done anything wrong, she wouldn’t have hesitated to agree to this clause. No rational producer should object to such a clause... Moreover, she had a responsibility, as a woman leading young personnel under her, to accept baseline ethical principles.”

Collier, who leads the Chalcot Square agency, could not confirm whether the clause was eventually incorporated into Ghost’s contract.

The court also saw motivational messages he sent to Wilson as the dispute intensified before The Deb filming. “You just need to be an absolute LEGEND and persevere through these months like a marathon with daily intense sprints,” he penned.

“Delivering remarkable leadership, inspiring creative vision, and establishing a wonderful workspace for all, while also attending to your own roles as a director, actor, writer, and producer. It’s a massive load. I hope you’re consuming tons of vitamins and receiving loads of support from those close to you. Forward to success!”

Earlier on Friday, The Deb‘s Australian producer Greer Simpkin testified. The court was told that Simpkin had emailed Ghost in September 2023, indicating that MacInnes had “retracted” when initially raising concerns about Ghost’s behavior.

Upon arriving at the Sydney court, Wilson was surrounded by admirers, taking selfies with fans on what was supposed to be the final day of the trial. The case has been overseen by Justice Elizabeth Raper.