Sacha Baron Cohen has said claims set to be made by Rebel Wilson are “demonstrably false” after the Australian actress named him as the “a**hole” she has written about in her upcoming memoir.
Wilson, 44, previously said she intended to write a chapter in the book about “a massive a**hole” she had worked with in Hollywood – though she did not reveal the person’s identity.
However, in a post on Instagram on Monday, Wilson said the person she was referring to was Ali G and Borat star Baron Cohen.
The British actor and comedian, 52, worked alongside Wilson on the set of his 2016 spy action comedy Grimsby, also known as The Brothers Grimsby.
In a previous now-deleted Instagram story – reported on by Us Weekly – Wilson accused Baron Cohen’s team of “trying to stop press coming out about my book”.
She wrote: “But the book WILL come out, and you will all know the truth.”
Wilson also said she will “not be bullied or silenced by high-priced lawyers or PR crisis managers”.
“The ‘a**hole’ I was talking about in one chapter of my book is: Sacha Baron Cohen.”
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A representative of Baron Cohen later said in a statement: “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’.”
In the Brothers Grimsby, Baron Cohen starred as the main character, alcoholic football hooligan turned elite spy, Nobby, while Wilson played Dawn Grobham, Nobby’s wife and mother to their 11 children.
The film also starred Mark Strong, Penelope Cruz, and Baron Cohen’s real-life wife, Isla Fisher.
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Wilson shot to fame as the character Brynn in the hit 2011 comedy film Bridesmaids, before gaining critical claim as Fat Amy in the musical comedy film, Pitch Perfect.
Her upcoming memoir, named Rebel Rising, is due to be published next month.
