Sacha Baron Cohen fired back at his former “Brothers Grimsby” co-star Rebel Wilson hours after she revealed the irreverent “Borat” star inspired an entire chapter in her upcoming memoir.
For weeks Wilson teased her new book, “Rebel Rising,” on social media, dropping hints about its contents. Earlier this month, she said in an Instagram video that “Rebel Rising” will explain why she has a “no a—” policy in place for her Hollywood work and noted that she once co-starred with a “massive a—.” On Sunday evening, the “Bridesmaids” actor shared more than just her co-star’s identity.
“I will not be bullied or silenced by high priced lawyers or PR crisis managers,” she wrote in an Instagram story. “The ‘a—’ that I am talking about in ONE CHAPTER of my book is: Sacha Baron Cohen.”
Wilson’s Instagram story did not reveal additional details about her time working with Cohen, 52, but it did prompt a response from the “Les Misérables” and “Brüno” star early Monday morning.
“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 representative for Cohen said in a statement shared with The Times on Monday.
Wilson and Cohen co-starred in Louis Leterrier’s raunchy, spy-duo comedy “The Brothers Grimsby” in 2016. Cohen played the dopey brother to Mark Strong‘s accomplished MI6 agent and Wilson played Cohen’s on-screen girlfriend.
Long before “Rebel Rising,” Wilson voiced discomfort about her time on the comedy, which was co-written by Cohen. In 2016, the Australian “Pitch Perfect” star told Marie Claire U.K. that the film’s team wanted “full-frontal nudity” for her character, despite the strict “no nudity” clause in her contract. She also reportedly said during a radio show appearance in 2014 that Cohen also pitched a sexual sight gag for the film.
Wilson said that after she rejected his idea, Cohen tried asking again, allegedly saying, “Look, I’ll just pull down my pants, you just stick your finger up my butt, it’ll be a really funny bit,” Variety reported.
With “Rebel Rising,” Wilson, 44, delves more into her sexuality, her “weight gain and loss” journey, fertility issues and more. The description reads: “This memoir shows us how to love ourselves while making us laugh uncontrollably.”
“Rebel Rising” hits shelves April 2.
