Rebel Wilson accuses producers on 'The Deb' of conspiring to tank her directing debut
Rebel Wilson is accusing three producers on her directorial debut film, "The Deb," of conspiring to tank the movie after she reported them last fall for allegedly inappropriate behavior on set.
The Aussie actor-producer-director on Wednesday accused producers Amanda Ghost and Gregor Cameron and executive producer Vince Holden as the business partners who are refusing to let "The Deb" play at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in September. The film was selected last week to play on the festival's closing night, Sept. 15.
“I said, reported, I guess you would say, their bad behavior when I found out not minor things, big things,” Wilson said in a video on Instagram. “You know, inappropriate behavior towards the lead actress of the film, embezzling funds from the film’s budget, which we really needed because we’re a small movie. So kind of really important things.”
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The “Pitch Perfect” star did not specify to whom she reported the three, but she said that they met her with "absolute viciousness and retaliatory behavior" afterward.
“So I’m there on set. I’m trying to film my movie with my gorgeous Australian cast and crew who are so amazing … and yet every step of the way, these people who I complained about then tried to make my life hell," she said.
Wilson then said the producers were refusing to let the film premiere.
“I still finished the movie. I made this great movie, 'The Deb,'" she said. "And ... almost at the finish line, they’re saying, you know, it can’t come out,” Wilson said. “They might not release it, they might bury it. This is work of hundreds of people who have put their heart and soul into this. And this behavior is absolutely vile and disgusting.”
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A spokesperson for the three producers denied Wilson’s allegations, calling them "defamatory and disappointing" in a statement to Deadline.
“Her self-promotional claims are clearly intended to cause reputational harm to the individuals who have supported her directorial debut film 'The Deb,'” the spokesperson said. “For her to promote a false narrative to advance her own agenda undermines the film and all the people who worked on this project.”
Wilson's representative could not be reached immediately for comment Thursday. Wilson wrote in the caption of her post that TIFF was giving the producers two more days to do what they need to do to get the film shown.
“The Deb” is an original comedy musical starring Tara Morice and Naomi Sequeira. The film follows two teen girls who attend a debutante ball in a small country town.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
