Rebel Wilson is accusing three producers of her directorial debut, “The Deb,” of conspiring to ruin the movie after she sued them last fall for alleged inappropriate behavior on set.
The Australian actor, producer and director on Wednesday accused producers Amanda Ghost and Gregor Cameron and executive producer Vince Holden of being the business partners who are refusing to allow “The Deb” to screen at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in September. The film was selected last week to screen on the festival’s closing night on Sept. 15.
“I said, I called out, I guess you could say, his bad behavior when I found out that it wasn’t minor stuff, it was major stuff,” Wilson said in an Instagram video. “You know, inappropriate behavior toward the lead actress in the movie, misappropriation of funds from the movie’s budget, which we really needed because we’re a small movie. So really major stuff.”
The “Pitch Perfect” star did not specify who she reported the three to, but said she was later met with “absolute cruelty and vindictive behavior.”
“So, there I am on set, trying to film my movie with my wonderful Australian cast and crew, who are amazing… and yet, every step of the way, these people who I complained about and then tried to make my life a living hell,” she said.
Wilson later said the producers refused to allow the film to be released.
“I still finished the movie. I made this great movie, ‘The Deb,’” she said. “And… almost at the finish line, they say, you know, it can’t come out,” Wilson said. “They might not release it, they might bury it. This is the work of hundreds of people who have put their heart and soul into this. And this behavior is absolutely vile and disgusting.”
A spokesperson for all three producers denied Wilson's allegations, calling them “defamatory and disappointing” in a statement to Deadline.
“Her self-promotional claims are clearly intended to damage the reputations of the people who have supported her directorial debut, ‘The Deb,’” the spokesperson said. “The fact that she is promoting a false narrative to advance her own interests undermines the film and all the people who worked on this project.”
Wilson's representative could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Wilson wrote in the caption of his post that TIFF was giving the producers two more days to do what they need to do to get the film out.
“The Deb” is an original musical comedy starring Tara Morice and Naomi Sequeira. The film follows two teenage girls who attend a debutante ball in a small rural town.
