The release of Rebel Wilson’s autobiography, “Rebel Rising,” has faced delays in the UK and Australia. Originally slated for publication in Australia on Wednesday and in the UK on Thursday following its US release on Tuesday, the UK launch has been rescheduled to April 25th.
HarperCollins, the publisher, explained that the delay was to synchronize with Rebel Wilson’s upcoming press tours.
Notably, the book contains allegations involving Sacha Baron Cohen, prompting potential legal action from the latter.
The British comedian vehemently refuted any wrongdoing, dismissing Rebel Wilson’s portrayal of their collaboration on the 2016 film “Grimsby” as “demonstrably false.”
Wilson, in an interview, described her involvement in the spy comedy as “the worst professional experience of my career.”
In her autobiography, Wilson detailed instances where she felt pressured to engage in actions she deemed “derogatory to women or to my size,” and certain scenes left her feeling “humiliated” and “sexually harassed.”
She likened Sacha Baron Cohen’s behavior to that of a “fourth-grade bully who teases the fat girl on the playground and tries to make her life a living hell.”
In the film, known as “The Brothers Grimsby” in North America, Rebel Wilson portrayed the girlfriend of Sacha Baron Cohen’s character.
Baron Cohen’s legal team has strongly contested Wilson’s allegations, asserting that the evidence refutes her claims and suggesting that they are a strategic move to boost sales of her book.
They have provided video footage of a scene under scrutiny, along with email correspondence, script segments, and statements from producers and crew members, all of which, they argue, support Baron Cohen’s position.
In a statement, Baron Cohen’s spokesperson said:
“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.”
Last week, a source released video footage from one of the scenes Rebel Wilson described in her book.
She criticized the publication of the “unauthorized and misleading” footage as “bullying and gaslighting.”
Wilson is scheduled to embark on a promotional tour for her autobiography, with stops in Edinburgh, Manchester, and London on April 24th, 26th, and 29th respectively.
Following this, she will tour Australia, visiting Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne on May 9th, 12th, and 14th.
During an appearance on Kelly Clarkson’s US TV talk show last Tuesday, Wilson emphasized that her book is not solely focused on her experiences with Sacha Baron Cohen, stating, “the book itself is obviously not about this one guy,” and adding, “Like, that is one thing in one chapter.”
Sacha Baron Cohen gained fame for his bold comedic style, characterized by audacious pranks performed while disguised as characters like spoof gangster Ali G or fake Kazakh journalist Borat.
