Topics: Books, Celebrity, Rebel Wilson, TV And Film, US News, Sex and Relationships
Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual harassment and eating disorders which some readers may find distressing.
Rebel Wilson has claimed the alleged sexual harassment incident with Sacha Baron Cohen led to her 'eating issues'.
The Borat actor and Wilson worked together on The Brothers Grimsby back in 2016, and now Wilson has opened up about her experiences on set in her memoir, Rebel Rising, which was released yesterday (2 April).
A representative for Baron Cohen, who Wilson has called an 'a**hole' in the book, has described the claims as 'demonstrably false', in a statement given to the PA news agency.
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Wilson played the character of Dawn, the girlfriend of Baron Cohen’s character Nobby, a footie fan who gets pulled into the chaotic world of his secret agent brother.
Joining the pair included Baron Cohen’s wife, Isla Fisher, alongside Mark Strong, Penelope Cruz, Ricky Tomlinson and Johnny Vegas.
In a memoir passage obtained by People Magazine, the 44-year-old Aussie actor alleged that Baron Cohen requested she 'stick her finger up his a**' as he thought it would make a funny scene, yet she said 'it felt like [he] had sexually harassed me'.
She wrote: "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.'"
Elsewhere, Wilson writes: "SBC summons me via a production assistant saying that I’m needed to film an additional scene. 'Okay, well, we’re gonna film this extra scene', SBC says. Then he 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!!' ..."
Wilson continued in her book: "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."
Wilson also said she was 'completed [sic] disrespected, which led to me treating myself with even more disrespect by eating in an extremely unhealthy way'.
Since then, a spokesperson for Baron Cohen, 52, vehemently denied mistreating Wilson or pressuring her to go naked.
They 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."
Tyla has reached out to representatives of Sacha Baron Cohen for further comment.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article and would like to speak with someone in confidence, call the BEAT Eating Disorders helpline on 0808 801 0677. Helplines are open 365 days a year from 9am–8pm during the week, and 4pm–8pm on weekends and bank holidays. Alternatively, you can try the one-to-one webchat
