Rebel Wilson loses battle against Sacha Baron Cohen to release memoir without redactions in Australia
Rebel Wilson has lost her legal battle with her former Grimsby co-star Sacha Baron Cohen to ensure an intact version of her book Rebel Rising is published in Australia.
Instead, an edited version of the 44-year-old’s memoir will be published in Australia and New Zealand, with the entire chapter in which she accused Cohen of inappropriate behavior blacked out.
Although the book has already been published in the US, publisher HarperCollins Australia has confirmed that Australian readers will not be able to read the chapter.
“For legal reasons, we have edited one chapter in the Australian/New Zealand edition and added an explanatory note accordingly,” they said in a statement.
“That chapter is a very small part of a much bigger story and we’re excited that readers will get to hear Rebel’s story when the book comes out on Wednesday, May 8.”
Rebel Wilson, 44, (pictured) has lost her legal battle with her former Grimsby co-star Sacha Baron Cohen to ensure an intact version of her book Rebel Rising is published in Australia
The blacked-out chapter was titled “Sacha Baron Cohen and Other A**holes” and detailed the allegedly inappropriate way Cohen behaved towards her on the set of the 2016 comedy film Grimsby.
A spokesperson for Baron Cohen said the move was a clear victory for the actor: ‘Harper Collins did not review this chapter in the book before it was published. Took the sensible but belated step of removing Wilson’s defamatory claims.
‘Printing untruths is against the law in Great Britain and Australia; this is not a “quirk” as Ms Wilson said, but a legal principle that has existed for hundreds of years. This is a clear win for Sacha Baron Cohen.”
Instead, an edited version of the 44-year-old’s memoir will be published in Australia and New Zealand, with the entire chapter in which she accused Cohen of inappropriate behavior blacked out. (Image: Wilson and Baron Cohen in a scene from Grimsby)
Earlier this month, Rebel canceled her Australian book tour, which was planned to promote her tell-all memoir.
The actress was scheduled to host an event in Brisbane on May 12 and in Melbourne on May 14.
She said her book will be available in the country on May 8, but she “cannot organize book events due to a changing work schedule.”
‘I’m really pleased that British and Australian readers can finally read Rebel Rising. The new release date in the UK is April 25 and in Australia May 8,” she wrote on Instagram.
Although the book has already been published in the US, publisher HarperCollins Australia has confirmed that Australian readers will not be able to read the chapter.
‘This is my full story – from childhood to the birth of my beautiful daughter. I hope you enjoy it.’
‘Unfortunately I can’t do the in-person book events in Australia right now due to my changing work schedule.’
Rebel played Sacha’s on-screen girlfriend in the Louis Leterrier-directed 2016 film.
The blacked-out chapter was titled ‘Sacha Baron Cohen and Other A**holes’ and detailed the allegedly inappropriate way Cohen behaved towards her on the set of the 2016 comedy film Grimsby. He has denied the allegations
A spokesperson for Baron Cohen said this move was a clear victory for the actor