Rebel Wilson says Sacha Baron Cohen pressured her to go naked on set and sprung a lewd scene on her, which the 'Borat' actor denies
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- Rebel Wilson has alleged that Sacha Baron Cohen pressured her to go naked in "The Brothers Grimsby."
- Wilson also said Cohen tried to get her to perform a lewd scene without prior consent.
- The "Pitch Perfect" star recalls working with Cohen in her coming memoir, "Rebel Rises."
Rebel Wilson has said Sacha Baron Cohen pressured her to get naked while filming the 2016 movie "The Brothers Grimsby" and also asked her to perform a lewd scene without prior consent.
On Sunday, the "Pitch Perfect" star wrote on Instagram that a chapter of her coming memoir, "Rebel Rising," would detail her experiences working with the "Borat" actor.
Wilson also said Cohen used lawyers to threaten her over the book.
On Tuesday, People published an excerpt from "Rebel Rising," in which the actor alleges that Cohen frequently asked her to go nude in "The Brothers Grimsby."
She 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.'"
Writing about a scene in the film shot in Cape Town, Wilson says: "SBC summons me via a production assistant saying that I'm needed to film an additional scene. 'Okay, well, we're gonna film this extra scene,' SBC says.
"Then he pulls his pants down … SBC says very matter-of-factly: 'Okay, now I want you to stick your finger up my ass.' And I'm like, 'What?? … No!!'"
She continues: "I was now scared. I wanted to get out of there, so I finally compromised: I slapped him on the ass and improvised a few lines as the character."
Wilson says it was 'karma' that 'The Brothers Grimsby' bombed at the box office
According to Forbes, "The Brothers Grimsby" had a budget of $35 million. Per Box Office Mojo, the film made only £27 million worldwide.
"The movie bombed, which to me was karma enough," Wilson wrote. "I'm not about canceling anybody and that's not my motivation for sharing this story. I'm sharing my story now because the more women talk about things like this, hopefully the less it happens."
On Monday, a spokesperson for Cohen told Business Insider for a separate story on Wilson's allegations: "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.'"
On Tuesday, People reported that Cohen's representatives sent the publication anonymous supporting statements for the "Borat" actor from nine people involved in the film. They included five who said they were on set during the Cape Town scene and disputed Wilson's story.
A writer-producer said: "This was a scheduled, scripted scene."
Wilson's sister and a friend told People the actor informed them of the alleged incident shortly after it happened.
Representatives for Wilson and Cohen didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from BI regarding the excerpt.