Here's What You Need To Know About Rebel Wilson And The Newspaper Being Accused Of "Outing Her"
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Rebel Wilson commented on Twitter after an Australian newspaper was accused of "outing" her.
Back in May, Rebel said that she was "happily in a relationship" with someone she was set up with by a friend — but did not choose to disclose who she was in a relationship with and her rep did not reply to Page Six's request for comment at the time.
“[My friend] had known both of us for at least five years and he thought we would hit it off — and then we did!” Rebel said of meeting her new S.O.
Then, on Thursday, Rebel posted a photo with her girlfriend, Ramona Agruma, on Instagram. The image was captioned, "I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince…but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney princess."
While Ramona had featured on Rebel's Instagram and attended events with the actor previously, it was the first time that Rebel publicly confirmed they were in a relationship — leading many to call the post a public coming out for Rebel.
However, on Saturday, the Sydney Morning Herald published an article saying that they had reached out to Rebel on Thursday and given her two days to comment on her relationship "before publishing a single word."
"Big mistake," writer Andrew Hornery said of reaching out to Rebel. "Wilson opted to gazump the story, posting about her new 'Disney Princess' on Instagram early Friday morning, the same platform she had previously used to brag about her handsome ex-boyfriend, wealthy American beer baron Jacob Busch."
The writer further said that Rebel's decision not to respond to the "discreet, genuine and honest queries" was "underwhelming" given how "bitterly she complained about poor journalism standards" when she successfully sued the publication, Women's Day, for defamation after they branded her a serial liar.
The article goes on to insinuate that anti-LGBTQ bigotry is no longer a big deal in the movie industry:
It also suggests that it would have been fine to publish an article about Rebel dating a woman because she posted about her "hunky boyfriend" on Instagram and was publicly presumed to be heterosexual:
FWIW, we also don't know if this is Rebel's first same-sex relationship or the extent of which she was openly queer in her private life. Nor is it any of our business!
The piece went viral on Twitter, with many accusing the publication of "outing" Rebel:
I’ve just read this @smh piece 3 times to make sure that I wasn’t misreading. The publication messaged Rebel Wilson saying they would out her in 2 days - and is now complaining that she chose to announce her relationship with a woman herself. Quite astonishing.
i am so beyond disgusted at this. turns out rebel wilson only came out to avoid being forcefully outed and now that newspaper is pissed at her for ruining their scoop?? so they wrote this mess?? i am so angry and so sorry for rebel, no one deserves this.
In case you were wondering how Pride Month is going, the @smh got in touch with Rebel Wilson to say they’d be outing her in the next few days, so when Rebel came out herself the journalists are throwing a tantrum that she robbed them of an exclusive.
The paper issued a follow-up denying that they had "outed" Rebel, claiming, "We simply asked questions and as standard practice included a deadline for a response. I had made no decision about whether or what to publish, and the Herald’s decision about what to do would have been informed by any response Wilson supplied."
Rebel herself then replied to one tweet that said, "Apparently it wasn't Rebel Wilson's choice to come out — the SMH have admitted to giving her a heads up two days in advance that they were going to "out her."
So apparently it wasn't @RebelWilson's choice to come out... The @smh/@theage have admitted to giving her a heads up 2 days in advance that they were going to "out" her. What's worse, openly gay men at the Sydney Morning Herald were involved in this. 🤦🏼♀️ https://t.co/Zl80zg01SW
"Thank you for your comments," Rebel wrote. "It was a very hard situation but trying to handle it with grace."
@katedoak @smh @theage Thanks for your comments, it was a very hard situation but trying to handle it with grace 💗
She further liked a series of tweets supporting her:
