Rebel Wilson Reveals #MeToo Attack by Male Co-Star: ‘It Was Awful and Disgusting’

Samantha Bergeson
·2 min read
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Rebel Wilson has opened up about a former assault by an unnamed male co-star. The “Pitch Perfect” alum called the encounter “awful and disgusting” when reflecting on the attack, which occurred before the rise of the #MeToo movement.

“He called me into a room and pulled down his pants,” Wilson explained to People, saying that, in front of his friends, the co-star asked her to perform a lewd act.

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“It was awful and disgusting,” Wilson continued. “And all the behavior afterwards — this was all before #MeToo — where they kind of tried to destroy me and my career. If it had happened after #MeToo, then I could have just blasted them.”

Wilson, who has a law degree, added that she “documented” the assault. “I called my rep. I got certain things in writing about what happened,” the “Hustle” star said. “Definitely amongst industry circles, I made sure people knew what happened.”

The “Senior Year” star and producer reflected, “I thought even complaining to my agency was a big step. And to complain to the studio. I found out I was like the fourth person to complain about the guy. Such gross behavior, but a lot of women have had it way worse.”

Wilson still grapples with the decision to continue working with the actor and finish the film she was in production on when the assault occurred.

“Why did I stay in that situation with that awful guy?” Wilson said. “I should have left. It wasn’t worth it. But at the same time, I was like, ‘Oh well, do the right thing, be a professional and finish the movie.’ Now I would never do that. If it happened again, I would probably stand up for myself even more just because of the bravery of the other women that have stood up and now allowed me an opportunity.”

Now, Wilson is using her platform to emphasize “strong girl power and female empowerment themes” in the films she makes.

IndieWire’s Kate Erbland compared Wilson’s Netflix coming-of-age comedy “Senior Year” to beloved ’90s classic “Never Been Kissed,” writing, “Wilson makes for a fun heroine who’s worth rooting for, bawdy, and down for whatever…Nineties and early aughties nostalgia is ripe for dissection, as is the wide, woke world of today’s teen influencers.”

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