Rebel Wilson Says Sacha Baron Cohen Is "Trying to Threaten Me" Over Revealing New Memoir
Baron Cohen is denying his former co-star's "demonstrably false claims."
Rebel Wilson is naming names in her forthcoming memoir titled Rebel Rising. The highly anticipated autobiography, which publishes on April 2, 2024, covers Wilson's journey to finding love and becoming a first-time mom and chronicles the Australian actor's rise to fame in Hollywood—including her years spent as Fat Amy in the Pitch Perfect franchise as well as the mortifying experience Wilson had with former co-star Sacha Baron Cohen.
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"You're going to see a whole new side of me. Lots of funny stuff, and serious stuff… And hopefully you guys will love the book as much as I've loved writing it—although sometimes its been gut-wrenching and emotional," Wilson teased in a 2023 Instagram Story clip, per People.
While promoting Rebel Rising on social media, Wilson has been teasing one chapter (this video contains profanity) in particular, in which she explains why she doesn't work with certain "older people in the industry," who have been branded as "[expletive]."
The Senior Year actor initially told fans they would have to wait for the book's release to learn which of her former castmates is the bad faith actor. However, a recent push from the other camp's legal team has pressed Wilson to expose the actor's name herself.
"I will not be bullied or silenced with high priced lawyers or PR crisis managers. The [expletive] that I am talking about in ONE CHAPTER of my book is Sasha Baron Cohen," Wilson announced on her Instagram Story on March 25.
The duo starred as husband and wife in the 2016 R-rated comedy The Brothers Grimsby. During a 2014 radio show appearance, Wilson claimed that Baron Cohen repeatedly instructed her to strip down in scenes that weren't written that way in the script. When he wouldn't relent, Wilson threatened to call their mutual agent and say Baron Cohen was "harassing" her.
"Every day he's like, 'Just go naked, it will be funny. Remember in Borat when I did that naked scene? It was hilarious,'" Wilson said on air at the time, per Variety. "On the last day, I thought I'd obviously won the argument and he got a body double to do the naked scene."
At one point during filming, Wilson said Baron Cohen also asked her to "stick your finger up my butt" as a "really funny bit." The Hustle actor said she didn't oblige his request.
According to Variety, Wilson previously warned fans that Baron Cohen was "trying to threaten me" over the details in chapter 23 of Rebel Rising. "He's hired a crisis PR manager and lawyers. He's trying to stop press coming out about my new book. But the book WILL come out and you will all know the truth," she said online, per the outlet.
Baron Cohen, by way of an official spokesperson, has since come forward and denied Wilson's allegations.
"While we appreciate the importance of speaking out, these demonstrably false claims are directly contradicted by extensive detailed evidence, including contemporaneous documents, film footage, and eyewitness accounts from those present before, during and after the production of The Brothers Grimsby," the actor's spokesperson said in a statement to Deadline.
Best Life reached out to Baron Cohen's representative about the alleged on-set incident and will update this story with their response. Meanwhile, Rebel Rising hits bookstores on April 2, 2024.
