Rebel Wilson did not defame Charlotte MacInnes, the Australian actress who stars in her directorial debut The Deb, a Sydney court has ruled.

After an explosive and often bitter court battle earlier this year, Wilson has emerged victorious, saying she was “thankful” that the dispute had concluded for now. There are numerous other legal fronts in the messy wrangle over The Deb, including unresolved arguments between Wilson and the producers.

MacInnes claimed that Wilson damaged her reputation by alleging that she was sexually harassed by The Deb producer, Amanda Ghost, and then colluded with Ghost to cover up what took place. At the heart of the case is an incident in September 2023, when Ghost shared a bath with MacInnes in a Sydney apartment after they had been swimming on Bondi beach.

Wilson claimed that MacInnes told her that the incident made the young actress uncomfortable. Wilson further alleged that MacInnes later withdrew her complaint after being given career opportunities by Ghost. MacInnes sued Wilson over four Instagram posts, in which the Bridesmaids star discussed the events.

Justice Elizabeth Raper, the Australian judge who presided over the case, agreed with Wilson. “MacInnes changed her story about feeling uncomfortable about what happened in the bathroom,” the judge ruled, adding that Wilson’s social media posts about MacInnes were not defamatory “by reason of these findings.”

In a statement, Wilson said: “I’m grateful the court has taken the time to carefully consider the evidence and reach its decision. This has been a long process and throughout I have tried to stay grounded in my values and what I believed was right. I’m thankful that process has now reached its conclusion.

“I have always believed in the importance of telling stories that reflect real experiences and give people the opportunity to see themselves represented. The Deb is a story I’m incredibly passionate about because it celebrates individuality, resilience and the courage to be yourself. I hope audiences will experience the story for themselves and connect with the values at its heart.

“Right now, what I’m focused on is what matters most, my family and my work.”

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EXCLUSIVE: SonyLiv is getting deeper into the animation game.

The India-based streamer has quietly greenlit The Legend of Karna, which comes from Sharad Devarajan and Jeevan J. Kang and their production house, Graphic India. The series, inspired by the Hindu epic Mahabharata, will debut on July 31.

The Legend of Karna will follow Karna, a warrior from the Mahabharata who is born to Kunti and the Sun God Surya but raised in a charioteer’s household. He possesses the gift of bow mastery that rivals the greatest warriors of his age, compelling him to enter a grand tournament usually reserved only for kings and princes, altering the course of an empire forever.

Per the synopsis: “Crowned king by the ambitious prince Duryodhana but rejected by a court that judges him by his perceived birth, Karna rises from the dust of a village workshop to the royal halls of Hastinapura. His journey is one of exceptional talent, unwavering loyalty and an enduring struggle against a world governed by lineage. As politics, prophecy and hidden truths converge, Karna must confront the conflict between the destiny imposed upon him and the legacy he seeks to create.”

“We couldn’t imagine a better home for this journey than with our partners at Sony LIV and the incredible honor they are giving us,” said Devarajan, the co-creator and showrunner. “Karna has always been the tragic heart of the Mahabharata. What the world refused him by birth, his own hands took with skill, and that question feels more urgent today than ever. Does greatness come from where you are born, or from what you do?

“With The Legend of Karna, we wanted to tell his story the way it deserves to be told, as an epic saga of unbreakable loyalty, unbearable secrets, and a talent that shook the world, seen through the eyes of a hero who has always stood at the center of the epic but never at the center of its telling.”

Devarajan is known for collaborating with the late Stan Lee, collaborating to create Indian superhero series Chakra – The Invincible for Cartoon Network India in 2013. The Marvel creator’s influence on Devarajan was such that in the past he has been called “the Indian Stan Lee.” His credits include producing Netflix live-action film The Archies and The Legend of Hanuman, which has become one of the top-rated series on Disney+ Hotstar. Devarajan also created the Spider-Man India character for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and teamed with SS Rajamouli on the Baahubali movie franchise, overseeing gaming, publishing and digital media and creating Prime Video series Baahubali: The Lost Legends.

More recently, we revealed he is working with The Adjustment Bureau writer-director George Nolfi on a Hindi-language version of the 2011 film, and with Gladiator writer David Franzoni to turn his graphic novel about Alexander the Great into a scripted series alongside Starlings Television.

As for the Sony Pictures Networks India-owned Sony LIV, which is known for originals such as Rocket Boys, Scam and Freedom at Midnight, the series joins other animated originals such as Jiyo Gopuda and Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.