Sacha Baron Cohen reacts to Rebel Wilson's ‘a**hole’ comment, branding her allegations 'demonstrably false'

Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen, 52, recently responded to actress Rebel Wilson's allegations regarding attempts to impede the release of her forthcoming memoir, Rebel Rising.

In an Instagram video shared earlier this month, Wilson, 44, said that her book would include details of her experience working with a “massive a**hole” A-lister. While she didn't reveal the identity of the actor at that time, Wilson named Cohen in an Instagram story on Monday.

Baron Cohen, however, denies these claims. A spokesperson for the Borat actor released a statement addressing the allegations and deeming them “demonstrably false.”

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Sacha Baron Cohen defends himself against Rebel Wilson's allegations

Wilson's memoir includes a chapter detailing her experiences working with Sacha Baron Cohen on the 2016 film The Brother's Grimsby. She alleges that Cohen, known for his unconventional comedic style, exhibited behavior she found objectionable during the production.

This included purported attempts to halt the release of her book. Wilson, in various social media posts, declared her intention not to yield to legal pressure and affirmed her commitment to publishing her account.

Wilson wrote in her Instagram stories on March 25 that she would not be silenced by high-priced lawyers or PR crisis managers, and then mentioned that:

“The ‘a**hole’ that I am talking about in ONE CHAPTER of my book is Sacha Baron Cohen.”

Wilson had previously accused Sacha Baron Cohen on social media without mentioning his name.

“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.”

However, Baron Cohen's spokesperson, in a statement issued on March 25, to media publications, rebuffed Wilson's claims, asserting that extensive evidence contradicts her 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.”

The feud between Wilson and Cohen reportedly stems from their collaboration on Grimsby, where Wilson portrayed the character Dawn Grobham, the girlfriend of Cohen's character. During filming, Wilson resisted pressure to perform nude scenes, insisting on contractual terms that excluded such requirements.

Previously, in an Instagram video shared by Wilson earlier this month, she mentioned that:

“When I first came to Hollywood, people were like, yeah, ‘I have a no a**hole policy, means like, yeah, I don’t work with a**holes.’ I was like, ‘Oh yeah. I mean, that sounds sensible or logical. But then it really sunk in because I worked with a massive a**hole and yeah, now I definitely have a no a**holes policy.”

Even in an interview with the UK Marie Claire in 2016, she claimed that Baron Cohen wanted her to film a n*de scene in The Brother's Grimsby, which she denied.

These disagreements have now spilled over into a public dispute regarding the portrayal of their working relationship in Wilson's memoir.

“You want to know that the people (behind the camera) have a certain sensibility and decency,” Wilson stated during the interview.

As of now, both parties stand firm in their respective positions, with Wilson determined to publish her memoir as scheduled on April 2, 2024, and Sacha Baron Cohen maintaining his denial of the allegations put forth by Wilson.