Rebel Wilson has accused Sacha Baron Cohen of “bullying and gaslighting” following the emergence of a video seemingly contradicting her claims against him.
The 44-year-old “Pitch Perfect” star had alleged last week that Cohen, 52, was attempting to halt the release of her memoir, “Rebel Rising,” scheduled for Tuesday.
In her memoir, she recounts a negative experience working with him on the set of 2016’s “The Brothers Grimsby.”
Rebel Wilson contends that Cohen requested her to insert her finger into his rear end for a scene, a request she maintains was not part of the script, and she declined.
Last Friday, a source released unseen behind-the-scenes footage, challenging her narrative. The footage captures Wilson and Cohen discussing their sex scene, where Wilson mentions slapping Cohen’s butt and going “down the crack.”
“It’s almost as if you’re going to ram your fingers inside,” Cohen says in the video, to which Wilson replies, “Yeah.”
The source implied that the footage indicated Wilson’s agreement with the scene, suggesting it was scripted.
However, in a statement, Wilson reiterated her accusations against Cohen, emphasizing that the video doesn’t portray the full context of the situation.
“It is an (expletive) move to release footage of one part of that disgusting episode while leaving out everything that preceded it including my horrified refusal to stick my finger up SBC’s butt,” she said. “This could not have possibly been for the film as the director Louis Leterrier was not even present.”
Wilson’s statement added,
“What this edited video shows is what I had to do in order to get out of the room, as written in ‘Rebel Rising.’
Releasing unauthorized and misleading behind the scenes video without my approval is SBC’s latest way of bullying and gaslighting me.
The outpouring of messages from so many who have also been mistreated by SBC show I’m not alone.”
In an excerpt of Wilson’s memoir, published, the actress claimed that during filming, Cohen informed her they needed to shoot an extra scene. She alleged that Cohen then proceeded to lower his pants and instructed her to insert her finger.
“I was now scared,” she reportedly writes. “I wanted to get out of there, so I finally compromised: I slapped him on the (bottom) and improvised a few lines as the character.”
In a 2017 tweet, Wilson wrote that a “male star, in a position of power,” asked her to “go into a room with him and then asked me repeatedly to stick my finger up” his behind. She also alleged that his “male ‘friends’ tried to film the incident on their iPhones and laughed.”
Cohen’s representative previously informed, stating,
“While we understand the significance of speaking out, these claims are demonstrably false.”
They further asserted that the allegations are refuted by extensive evidence, including contemporaneous documents, film footage, and eyewitness testimonies from individuals involved in all stages of the production of “The Brothers Grimsby.”
Rebel Wilson Reveals She Briefly Used Ozempic For Weight Maintenance
Prior to the release of her memoir, Wilson discussed her experiences on “The Brothers Grimsby”, expressing feeling “disrespected.”
She alleged that her costumes were chosen to highlight her insecurities, mentioning that they were designed to reveal cellulite on her thighs and accentuate the “fattest” part of her arm.
Apart from her allegations against Cohen, Wilson discussed her weight loss journey during the interview, revealing her brief use of Ozempic.
Following her weight loss achieved through diet and exercise, Wilson disclosed that she used the drug as a maintenance aid, though she has since stopped taking it.
“Someone like me could have a bottomless appetite for sweets, so I think those drugs can be good,” Wilson told The Sunday Times.
