Rebel Wilson Reveals the Lewd Scene She Felt Pressured by Sacha Baron Cohen to Film: ‘I Wanted to Get Out of There’
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Rebel Wilson’s commitment to not being silenced or intimidated while pulling back the curtain on inappropriate behavior she encountered in the film industry continues with new details from her memoir Rebel Rising. Earlier this week, the actress revealed her The Brothers Grimsby co-star Sacha Baron Cohen as the “massive asshole” she discusses in the book, a claim he referred to as being “demonstrably false.” A new excerpt from the forthcoming release alleges the actor pressured Wilson into inappropriate scenes while on set for the 2016 film.
“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,'” Wilson wrote, according to People. She went on to recall one particular day on set at a soccer stadium in Cape Town. “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,” she began. “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!!’”
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Wilson previously credited Cohen with being the catalyst for her adoption of a stern “no assholes” policy at work. During this particular scene, she wrote, “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.”
She added that while completing reshoots for the film, she demanded rewrites for a sex scene but still had to complete it. “I still had to simulate having sex with this guy. I still had to kiss him repeatedly,” she said, stating that she was encouraged at the time to “be professional and finish the film” and pushed through by laughing it off — or trying to. “It really sank in that all this wasn’t something that could be laughed off,” she said. “I relayed to the producers that I would not be doing any promotion for the film.”
Now, Wilson sees the film’s failure as a result of Cohen’s alleged behavior. “The movie bombed, which to me was karma enough,” she wrote about the film that recouped $28 million of its $35 million budget. “I’m not about canceling anybody, and that’s not my motivation for sharing this story. I’m sharing my story now because the more women talk about things like this, hopefully, the less it happens.”
In a statement to Rolling Stone, representatives for Cohen denied Wilson’s account of the interaction. “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 statement reads.
Cohen’s team also provided People with anonymous statements from individuals who allegedly witnessed the scenes and recalled them differently. One producer added: “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.”
However, separate statements from Wilson’s sister and close friend recall the actress contacting them soon after the on-set incident, though a writer-producer maintains that it “was a scheduled, scripted scene.”
Earlier this week, Wilson suggested that Cohen was pursuing legal avenues to block the release of her book, which she reiterated only discusses him in one section. “Don’t worry I won’t be bullied or threatened by this guy,” she shared in an Instagram Story. “And am working hard behind the scenes to make sure my book comes out! Ps my book is not ABOUT this guy — this is one chapter!”
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