Rebel Wilson recently shared how she felt filming ‘The Brothers Grimsby’ with Sacha Baron Cohen. She opened up about how her co-star ‘exploited’ her in her new book ‘Rebel Rising’ and in interviews. It appears her experience wasn’t nice at all.
Wilson wrote in her book that Cohen made her feel really uncomfortable while making the movie. She explained that he asked her to do things for the movie that she didn’t want to do, like touching him in a way she found gross and inappropriate. Rebel tried to stand up for herself, but it was hard:
“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!!’ … 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 also talked with The Times about being made fun of because of her size. Rebel says that the clothes she had to wear for the movie were chosen to make people laugh at her, which really hurt her feelings:
“It’s one thing for someone who is fat to exploit their size for comedy, but it’s another for somebody else to humiliate you. [My costumes were chosen to] see all the cellulite on my thighs and a top to show the fattest part of my arm… like I was something to be laughed at and degraded because of my size. […] The fact that I then went back… Why do I have such low self-worth?”
What Does Sacha Baron Cohen Say?
Cohen and the people who made ‘The Brothers Grimsby’ say that Rebel’s stories aren’t true:
“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.'”
A video that got out showed Rebel and Sacha talking about a scene. Some say this shows Rebel was okay with everything at the time. But Rebel says this video doesn’t tell the whole story and that it was wrong to share it without showing everything that happened:
“It is an a**hole move to release footage of one part of that disgusting episode while leaving out everything that preceded it, including my horrified refusal to stick my finger up SBC’s butt. … Releasing unauthorized and misleading behind-the-scenes video without my approval is SBC’s latest way of bullying and gaslighting me.”
Rebel’s Book and Why It Matters
Rebel wrote all about her life and career in her book ‘Rebel Rising.” She wanted to share her experiences to help others feel brave enough to come out.
Rebel stands by her words despite what’s been said against her. She says it’s not right for someone else to make fun of you or to make you do things you’re not okay with, especially just to get laughs in a movie.
Sacha Baron Cohen hasn’t said much himself. But he’s denied doing anything wrong through his reps. There’s even talk that he might take Rebel to court over her claims.
You can watch the trailer for ‘The Brothers Grimsby’ below.
