分类： entertainment

Hollywood star Rebel Wilson has pushed back against allegations that she manufactured a false sexual harassment narrative to create conflict, describing the ongoing defamation lawsuit against her as an unforeseen ‘nightmare situation’ that derailed preparations for her first directorial project. The Pitch Perfect and Bridesmaids actor took the witness stand for a second consecutive day on Wednesday at Sydney’s Federal Court, where she is being sued by Charlotte MacInnes, a co-star in Wilson’s upcoming coming-of-age female-led comedy *The Deb*.

At the heart of the legal dispute are a series of social media posts Wilson published that MacInnes argues falsely implied the young performer had initially made a sexual harassment complaint against the film’s producer, Lauren Ghost, then withdrew the claim to advance her career. The incident in question centers on a September 2023 shared bath at Ghost’s Bondi penthouse, where both Ghost and MacInnes wore swimsuits while warming up after Ghost experienced a medical episode during a sunset swim at Bondi Beach. MacInnes has repeatedly denied ever making any formal or informal sexual harassment complaint connected to the incident.

During cross-examination from MacInnes’ barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC, Wilson was accused of creating the chaotic ‘nightmare situation’ through a sequence of deliberate lies, just five weeks before *The Deb* was scheduled to begin principal photography. The actor forcefully rejected this characterization, calling the claim completely nonsensical. She told the court that when she was first allegedly told about the incident, it came as a devastating shock that dropped into her lap at the worst possible moment.

As a first-time director who spent years developing *The Deb* as a project rooted in female empowerment, Wilson stated it would never have served her own interests to invent a sexual harassment allegation involving two key production team and cast members. She told the court: ‘This is an absolute nightmare situation for me, who’s a first time director, making a movie that is essentially a girl power movie. It would not at all be in my interest to make up a sexual harassment complaint between those two very important people.’

Wilson also pushed back against claims that she mistreated female cast and crew during the production of the film, reaffirming that she has long viewed herself as a champion for women in the entertainment industry. Entering the Sydney courthouse Wednesday morning, the actor publicly thanked the cast and crew of *The Deb* for their ongoing support throughout the legal process, noting that she could not discuss the details of the ongoing trial out of respect for the Australian legal system. The blockbuster defamation trial is ongoing, with further testimony and developments expected in the coming days.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made an unanticipated, memorable appearance on the ninth-season premiere of the hit Channel 9 comedy game show *The Hundred*, where he delivered a series of sharp, playful roasts of fellow panel guests and opened up about little-known personal anecdotes from his life before entering the nation’s top office.

Hosted by beloved Australian comedian Andy Lee, *The Hundred* structures its episodes around 100 everyday Australians from across the country, who join the show remotely via Zoom to participate in on-air polls and interactive segments. For the opening episode of the new season, Albanese stepped into the program’s signature “hot seat” for a fun segment testing how many of the 100 participants could recognize the country’s sitting Prime Minister. Impressively, 98% of the respondents correctly identified Albanese – a result that prompted the Prime Minister to fire off a quick-witted quip, asking, “Who are the two people who are leaving Australia at this point in time?” The joke landed instantly with the studio audience and viewers watching at home alike.

Beyond the recognition segment, Albanese leaned into the lighthearted tone of the night, sharing a throwback to a lesser-known gig he held years before entering politics: part-time event DJ. Going by the playful stage name “DJ Albo”, Albanese explained he spent many years spinning tracks for charity fundraisers hosted by Reclink, an Australian organization that uses sport and the arts to support community members facing disadvantage. “I haven’t done it for a while because I’m busy with other things,” he told the panel, adding a joking note about crowd reactions to his sets that drew more laughs from the room.

Albanese also showcased one of his most well-known (and previously private) personal mannerisms during the appearance: his so-called “everything is fine face”. He told the audience this is the neutral, polite expression he pulls when greeting fellow politicians he does not agree with politically. To demonstrate the trick, host Andy Lee stepped into the role of a disagreeable political colleague, with Albanese greeting him with a firm handshake and a wide, unflappable grin – a performance that brought roars of laughter from the crowd.

A long-running staple of Australian comedy television, *The Hundred* welcomes back regular panellists Mike Goldstein and Sophie Monk for its ninth season, alongside a rotating lineup of popular Australian comedians including Joel Creasey, Kate Langbroek, Pete Helliar, Denise Scott, Hamish Blake, Glenn Robbins and Dave Hughes. Albanese’s surprise opening-night guest spot kicks off a season packed with A-list celebrity guests, with upcoming appearances scheduled for Olympic swimmer and musician Cody Simpson, Boost Juice founder Janine Allis, Melbourne AFL captain Max Gawn and Australian actor-activist Samuel Johnson, according to entertainment outlet TV Blackbox.

One of Hollywood’s most recognizable comedic stars, Rebel Wilson, has forcefully rejected allegations that she bullied female colleagues on the set of her directorial debut, calling the claims “absolute nonsense” during her first day of testimony in a high-stakes defamation trial unfolding in Sydney. The legal action against the *Bridesmaids* actor was brought by 26-year-old Australian performer Charlotte MacInnes, who appeared in Wilson’s first feature film as director, *The Deb*. The case centers on a string of Instagram posts Wilson published between 2024 and 2025 that MacInnes argues have irreparably damaged her professional reputation.

At the core of the dispute is how MacInnes described a 2023 incident involving producer Amanda Ghost, who also worked on *The Deb*. In her posts, Wilson alleged MacInnes had initially complained of sexual harassment by Ghost during a post-swim encounter at Bondi Beach, only to withdraw the claim to advance her own career. MacInnes vehemently denies ever making a sexual harassment allegation against Ghost, saying Wilson’s version of events is entirely fabricated.

The incident that sparked the entire conflict dates to September 2023, when MacInnes and Ghost joined for an late-afternoon swim at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach. Ghost suffered a sudden and severe allergic reaction to cold water, a rare condition called cold urticaria that left her covered in painful red welts and shaking uncontrollably, the court heard during earlier proceedings. The pair hurried back to Ghost’s nearby beachside apartment, where MacInnes drew a hot bath to help ease Ghost’s symptoms. After Ghost got into a shower to warm up first, MacInnes stepped into the bath to warm herself; Ghost later joined her, and both remained in their swimsuits. Ghost’s assistant eventually brought hot drinks to the bathroom, where the three spoke briefly before the assistant left.

After the incident, Wilson spoke with MacInnes about what happened, and while both sides agree the conversation took place, they offer vastly conflicting accounts of its content. Wilson maintains MacInnes told her the encounter left her feeling “uncomfortable”, while MacInnes says she only ever described the situation as “weird” and “bizarre”, never indicating she felt sexually threatened or uncomfortable. Text messages presented to the court show Wilson told Ghost immediately after the conversation that “Charlotte says all good” and “She just meant ‘it was a bizarre situation’ not that she personally felt uncomfortable.”

When cross-examined by Sue Chrysanthou SC, MacInnes’ lead barrister, Wilson was pressed on her public self-identification as a “champion of women” — a label Wilson affirmed she still embraces. Chrysanthou challenged Wilson on this stance, pointing to accusations that the actor had publicly and privately mistreated MacInnes, Ghost, and a female writer on the set of *The Deb. “That’s absolute nonsense,” Wilson told the packed courtroom, which was filled with reporters, supporters from both sides, and multiple witnesses including Ghost. Wilson also pushed back on claims that her critical public social media posts about the women constituted mistreatment, arguing the statements were truthful, not malicious.

Throughout hours of questioning, Wilson repeatedly said she could not recall key details related to the case, including widespread backlash she received in 2018 after claiming she was the “first ever plus-sized girl” to lead a romantic comedy. She also denied any involvement in anonymous websites that have spread damaging rumors about both Ghost and MacInnes. Prosecutors have previously alleged Wilson hired a U.S. public relations firm to create websites that compared Ghost to disgraced sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal ring. Prosecutors have also raised the issue of a nude photo of MacInnes that was leaked online after her social media accounts were hacked, though no link between Wilson and the hack has been proven in court.

Wilson’s legal team has argued MacInnes has not suffered any professional harm from the Instagram posts, pointing instead to a string of career advances she has secured since the posts were published: MacInnes recently signed a record deal with major label Atlantic Records and landed a role in a new U.S. theater production being produced by Ghost. MacInnes is seeking aggravated damages for the alleged defamation and a court order to stop Wilson from repeating the claims on any public platform.

Wilson’s testimony is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, as the high-profile trial progresses through Sydney’s court system.

Manila, Philippines – A striking new cultural landmark has opened on the shores of Manila Bay, inviting visitors to step back into one of the most transformative yet under-told chapters of global history: the 250-year era of Spanish Pacific galleon trade. At the heart of the newly opened Museo del Galeon sits a full-scale, meticulously crafted replica of the *Espiritu Santo*, a 17th-century galleon that once plied the deadly trade route connecting Manila, Acapulco, and Spain.

Unlike many historical accounts of the galleon trade that center on European colonial powers, this new museum deliberately frames the story through the experiences of the Filipino people who built, crewed, and suffered under the colonial enterprise. From 1565 to 1815, 181 galleons completed hundreds of trans-Pacific crossings, forging the first sustained interconnected trade network linking Asia, the Americas, and Europe – a milestone many historians recognize as the dawn of early modern globalization. The *Espiritu Santo*, constructed with forced Filipino labor in 1603, was one of the most formidable vessels of its era.

Manuel Quezon, the museum’s executive director and a noted historian, emphasizes that the institution does not shy away from the brutal human and environmental cost of the galleon trade. For centuries, Spanish colonial authorities required able-bodied Filipino men to complete 40 days of unpaid forced labor annually felling old-growth hardwoods and constructing the massive ships. Many others were conscripted to serve as crew for voyages that could last more than a year, with death tolls averaging one out of every three sailors per crossing.

Cramped, overcrowded hulls loaded with luxury cargo left crewmembers surviving on a meager, often rotten diet of hardtack, spoiled salted meat, and rotting fish. Disease and starvation were rampant, and deadly uprisings against the exploitative system broke out across multiple shipbuilding sites, including the Cavite coast near Manila. Even as the trade reshaped global commerce and introduced new foods, religions, cultural practices, and ideas to the Philippines that shape modern Filipino identity today, it left a trail of environmental destruction, decimating local old-growth forests and shattering Indigenous communities.

“It was the first global trade, connecting three continents. It made the world smaller,” explained Francis Navarro, archives director at Manila’s Ateneo de Manila University, of the trade’s historical significance. Quezon added that the long legacy of Filipino seafaring persists to this day: Filipinos still make up one quarter of the world’s merchant sailors, a tradition rooted in the exploitative galleon era that has never been fully highlighted in mainstream historical narratives.

After 14 years of planning and development, the museum opened its doors to the public on May 1. Visitors can walk the decks of the replica *Espiritu Santo*, surround by immersive, wraparound LED displays that recreate the open Pacific skies. Artifacts recovered from actual galleon wrecks line the surrounding exhibit halls, including a fragment of a Chinese tomb stone once used as ballast in a 17th-century ship’s hold.

The $16.5 million (billion-peso) project ultimately secured funding from some of the Philippines’ wealthiest families after attempts to secure government financing and support from a Mexican billionaire fell through. Unlike the original *Espiritu Santo*, the modern replica is not built from native hardwood – a choice made out of environmental responsibility. The original 1,000-ton galleon required 800 mature old-growth water-resistant hardwood trees, a stock that has been completely wiped out in the Philippines due to centuries of unsustainable logging for shipbuilding. Today, those trees can only be found in remote Myanmar forests, and clearing that many ancient trees to build a static display would have been unethical, Quezon explained. Instead, the replica was constructed from fiberglass and other synthetic materials while remaining scrupulously accurate to the original ship’s design and dimensions.

Quezon notes that the museum fills a critical gap in Philippine historical memory. “We’re filling the blanks in with this museum,” he said during a pre-opening tour. “The child who comes through, we want them to realise that many of the things that they take for granted have absolutely amazing stories behind them.”