Sacha Baron Cohen Passage in Rebel Wilson’s Memoir Is Redacted in U.K.

The female comedian and actor from Australia made accusations against Sacha Baron Cohen regarding his conduct on the set of a movie made in 2016. However, Cohen has denied any wrongdoing.

Presented on April 24, 2024, and revised on April 25, 2024, at 3:40 p.m. Eastern Time.

The UK-based company who issued the autobiography of Rebel Wilson has edited out a part of the book that talks about Sacha Baron Cohen's alleged misconduct.

The book called "Rebel Rising" by Wilson, who is famous for her humor in movies such as "Bridesmaids" and "Pitch Perfect," talks honestly about the difficulties she faced with managing her weight, dealing with her sexuality, and handling money. However, one part of the book that got a lot of attention was a section where Wilson spoke about her experiences with Baron Cohen on the set of "The Brothers Grimsby" movie in 2016. Wilson described being asked by Cohen to appear naked on camera and perform sexual acts for a scene. A spokesperson for Baron Cohen has refuted Wilson's claims.

Simon & Schuster published the book in the US earlier this month. It will come out in the UK on Thursday and in Australia in August.

Getty's images revealed that Harper Collins, who is the publisher for the UK, removed certain parts from a page in the memoir. A representative from Harper Collins confirmed this deletion in a statement given to The New York Times.

According to a statement, all the pages will be released, but due to legal reasons, we will be censoring one page and adding some minor edits along with an explanation in the UK edition. These portions are only a tiny aspect of the whole story.

Wilson shared her experience while working on the movie "The Brothers Grimsby." She recalled feeling uneasy when Baron Cohen requested her to go naked in front of the camera, but they eventually found a body double to do the scene. Additionally, Wilson mentioned that during one of their sex scenes, Baron Cohen asked her to put her finger inside his butt, but she declined the request with others watching the filming.

Baron Cohen has claimed that Wilson's story is not true.

Although we understand the significance of expressing oneself, these incorrect assertions are completely disproven by thorough, specific proof, such as documents from the same time period, recordings, and reports from individuals who were present prior to, during, and following the creation of "The Brothers Grimsby." This was declared by a spokesperson for Baron Cohen in a statement made this month.

In the month of March, The Daily Mail released a video that displayed a scene not included in the film. The video featured Wilson and Baron Cohen performing a sexual act while remaining in character.

Wilson recently talked with The New York Times and stated that she doubts the iPhone recording of the moment he requested her to put her finger in his anus will ever come to light. She refused the request and asked for the director’s presence, but it’s unlikely we will ever see that particular footage.

During the interview, Wilson expressed that Cohen's rejection of her recollection is not aimed at ostracizing him. Wilson conveys that it is her right to divulge her personal story and share how the experience made her feel in her memoir.

A representative for Baron Cohen announced on Wednesday that Harper Collins had not verified the validity of the chapter. Nevertheless, the spokesperson commended the publishing company for removing what they referred to as slanderous accusations.

According to the statement, spreading lies is prohibited by law in the United Kingdom and Australia. The statement further stated that this action only proves what the statement had been saying all along, which is that the information provided in the book is completely untrue. The purpose of spreading false information in an attempt to sell books is both shameful and unsuccessful.

Wilson began her tour promoting her book in Edinburgh during the evening of Wednesday. The subsequent day, her legal advisor, Bryan Freedman, made a statement to The Times expressing gratitude on behalf of Wilson and himself towards all the women who have come forward to share their encounters with Sacha Baron Cohen.

The declaration expressed appreciation for their courage and fortitude.