Rebel Wilson’s Allegations Against Sacha Baron Cohen Explained

It’s the celeb showdown nobody saw coming, with Rebel Wilson accusing Sacha Baron Cohen of attempting to block her upcoming memoir, Rebel Rising.

The Pitch Perfect star hit out at a mysterious “a*******” in an Instagram video on March 15, saying a chapter is dedicated to her experience with the unnamed A-lister in her book.

On Monday, Wilson revealed the “a*******” to be Sacha Baron Cohen, with whom she co-starred in the 2016 flop The Brothers Grimsby. She slammed the British comedian in an Instagram Story post, writing: “I will not be bullied or silenced by high-priced lawyers or PR crisis managers.”

Newsweek has reached out to Rebel Wilson and Sacha Baron Cohen for comment via email.

Here is everything you need to know about the feud between the two.

What Did Sacha Baron Cohen Do to Rebel Wilson?

Rebel Wilson Accuses Sacha Baron Cohen of ‘Harassing’ Her in 2014

After filming for The Brothers Grimsby wrapped in 2014, Wilson recounted her experience on set during an appearance on Australia’s Kyle and Jackie O radio show, accusing Baron Cohen of pressuring her to perform naked.

“Sacha is so outrageous,” Wilson said. “Every single day he’s like, ‘Rebel, can you just go naked in this scene?’ And I’m like, ‘No!’ Sacha and I have the same agent in America and I’m like, ‘Sacha, I’m going to call our agent Sharon and tell her how much you are harassing me.”

“Every day he’s like, ‘Just go naked, it will be funny. Remember in Borat when I did that naked scene? It was hilarious,'” she said. “On the last day I thought I’d obviously won the argument and he got a body double to do the naked scene.”

She also claimed Cohen asked her to “stick [her] finger up his butt” for the final scene, although this was not included in the script.

“He’s like, ‘Look, I’ll just pull down my pants, you just stick your finger up my butt, it’ll be a really funny bit,'” she said.

Afraid of looking like a “diva,” Wilson agreed to spank him instead.

Wilson Hits Out at an Unnamed ‘A*******” on Instagram

Although she didn’t elaborate on Baron Cohen’s behavior in her March 15 video, Wilson did discuss the origin of her “no a********” policy. She did not name the Les Misérables star at the time.

“When I first came to Hollywood, people were like ‘yeah, I had a no a****** policy, it means like, yeah, I don’t work with a*******,'” the 44-year-old explained in the Instagram clip.

Wilson said she believed the advice was basically just common sense—until she began working with a nightmare co-star of her own.

“It really sunk in what they were meaning by that, older people in the industry, because I worked with a massive a*******,” she continued. “Now I definitely have a no a******** policy.”

“The chapter on said a******* is chapter 23,” Wilson added, holding a copy of her memoir up to the camera. “That guy was a massive a*******.”

Baron Cohen Reportedly Tries to Prevent Wilson’s Book Coming Out

In a follow-up post, Wilson disclosed that the unnamed celeb was “trying to threaten” her.

“He’s hired a crisis PR manager and lawyers,” she said. “He’s trying to stop press coming out about my new book. But the book WILL come out and you will all know the truth.”

Rebel Wilson Calls Sacha Baron Cohen Out in an Instagram Story

The Senior Year star blasted Baron Cohen in an Instagram Story on Monday, telling fans she will not be “bullied or silenced.”

“The a****** that I am talking about in one chapter of my book is: Sacha Baron Cohen,” Wilson wrote.

Since revealing her feud with the 52-year-old, fans have begun slamming Baron Cohen on Wilson’s Instagram posts.

“Bullies never win,” commented one user, while another said: “Well done for sticking up for yourself and all women.”

Sacha Baron Cohen Denies Claims in Rebel Wilson’s Memoir

A spokesperson for Baron Cohen told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday: “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.”