Yahoo News Rebel Wilson accuses Sacha Baron Cohen of workplace misconduct
Rebel Wilson has accused former co-star Sacha Baron Cohen of mistreating her on set of their comedy Grimsby.
People has excerpted sections of Rebel's upcoming memoir Rebel Rising, including a chapter where the actress accuses Sacha of humiliating her as they worked together on the 2016 film.
Rebel writes that Sacha, who co-wrote and also produced Grimsby, repeatedly asked her to film a nude scene even though there wasn't one in the script.
"It felt like every time I’d speak to SBC, he’d mention that he wanted me to go naked in a future scene. I was like, ‘Ha, I don’t do nudity, Sacha'," she recalled.
According to the actress, the situation came to a head when she was asked to perform a sexual act as part of an "additional scene" she wasn't prepared for.
The actress recalled: "[Sacha] pulls his pants down ... SBC says very matter-of-factly: ‘Okay, now I want you to stick your finger up my ass.’ And I’m like, ‘What?? ... No!!’
"I was now scared. I wanted to get out of there, so I finally compromised: I slapped him on the ass and improvised a few lines as the character.”
Rebel says that she complained to her management about her co-star's alleged request but was encouraged to finish the film and take part in reshoots where she'd have to kiss the actor.
“I relayed to the producers that I would not be doing any promotion for the film," she writes.
In response to these allegations, Sacha's representatives have released anonymous statements from nine people who say they worked on the film to dispute Rebel's version of events.
A spokesperson for the actor has also 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 (US title)."
An unnamed producer said on Sacha's behalf: "As per the script, which Rebel had read and approved in advance, her character was attempting to put a finger in Sacha’s character’s butt. At no point did Sacha actually ask her to put a finger in his butt.
"Throughout this entire period, she was treated with the utmost respect and empowerment and was welcomed as a collaborator in all creative areas."
"This was a scheduled, scripted scene," another writer-producer added.
Wilson had previously indicated on her social media that a well-known former co-star was trying to stop her memoir from coming out — initially refusing to name him before finally confirming it was Sacha Baron Cohen.
“When I first came to Hollywood, people were like, yeah, ‘I have a no-asshole policy, [it] means like, yeah, I don’t work with assholes.’ I was like, ‘Oh yeah. I mean, that sounds sensible or logical,'' Wilson originally said in an Instagram Story.
“But then it really sunk in [what they meant] because I worked with a massive asshole and yeah, now I definitely have a no-assholes policy... The chapter on said asshole is chapter 23. That guy was a massive asshole.”
Rebel later updated fans on her Instagram with accusations that "the asshole [was] trying to threaten" her by blocking the publication of the book.
"He’s hired a crisis PR manager and lawyers. He is trying to stop press coming out about my book. But the book WILL come out, and you will all know the truth," she said.
Representatives for the actor have denied trying to stop Rebel Rising's release.
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