HarperCollins has redacted Rebel Wilson’s claims about Sacha Baron Cohen from her memoir.
Rebel’s memoir, Rebel Rising, came out in the U.S. on April 2. In one chapter of her book, Rebel recalled her (negative) experience working with Sacha. She mentioned that the actor made inappropriate comments to her while on set filming The Brothers Grimsby. This occurred nearly 10 years ago.
Allegedly, Rebel wrote, “It felt like every time I’d speak to SBC, he’d mention that he wanted me to go naked in a future scene. I was like, ‘Ha, I don’t do nudity, Sacha.'” He also made further vile comments, such as telling Rebel to “stick [her] finger up [his butt.]”
In light of Rebel’s memoir’s release, Sacha has been receiving a ton of hate. However, he maintains Rebel’s claims are untrue.
“While we appreciate the importance of speaking out, these demonstrably false claims are directly contradicted by extensive detailed evidence,” Sacha said in a statement to Variety. “Including contemporaneous documents, film footage, and eyewitness accounts from those present before, during, and after the production of The Brothers Grimsby.“
Sacha then attempted to prevent Rebel from releasing her book with the alleged “false claims.”
“He is trying to stop press coming out about my book,” Rebel wrote about Sacha on Instagram. “But the book WILL come out, and you will know the truth.”
“I will not be bullied or silenced by high-priced lawyers or PR crisis managers. The ‘a—hole’ that I am talking about in ONE CHAPTER of my book is: Sacha Baron Cohen,” she revealed.
Rebel Wilson’s Memoir Will Not Include Claims Against Sacha Baron Cohen
Rebel’s memoir has already been published as-is in the U.S. However, HarperCollins has decided to redact the parts that mention Sacha’s inappropriate behavior for the book’s U.K. edition.
“We are publishing every page, but for legal reasons, in the U.K. edition, we are redacting most of one page with some other small redactions and an explanatory note,” HarperCollins said in a statement to NBC News. “Those sections are a very small part of a much bigger story.”
According to Sacha’s team, however, “HarperCollins did not fact check this chapter in the book prior to publication and took the sensible but terribly belated step of deleting Rebel Wilson’s defamatory claims once presented with evidence that they were false.”
His team added that printing falsehoods is illegal in the U.K. and Australia.
“This is a clear victory for Sacha Baron Cohen and confirms what we said from the beginning—that this is demonstrably false, in a shameful and failed effort to sell books.”