Rebel Wilson thanks people for 'acknowledging my experiences with Sacha Baron Cohen' - amid legal battle over memoir branding him an 'a**hole'
Rebel Wilson is giving thanks to her fans for how they responded to her claims about the actor Sacha Baron Cohen.
On Thursday, the 44-year-old Australian actress shared a photo of herself on stage for a conversation promoting her new memoir, Rebel Rising.
The book features a chapter titled Sacha Baron Cohen And Other A**holes, in which the Pitch Perfect actress makes claims about the 52-year-old Borat star's behavior on the set of their 2016 film Grimsby. Baron Cohen has strongly denied her allegations.
'I want to thank all the people who have come forward and acknowledged my experiences with Sacha Baron Cohen,' Wilson wrote in large text atop her photo.
Despite her thanks for the public support, many readers will not see her claims in full, as the UK version of the memoir has been published with significant sections of the chapter blacked out, while the version of the book published in Australia and New Zealand has the entire chapter excised.
![Rebel Wilson, 44, is giving thanks to her fans for how they responded to her claims about the actor Sacha Baron Cohen, 52, in her memoir Rebel Rising; pictured in May 2023 in Cap d'Antibes, France](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/26/17/84138295-13354543-image-a-3_1714147322867.jpg)
Rebel Wilson, 44, is giving thanks to her fans for how they responded to her claims about the actor Sacha Baron Cohen, 52, in her memoir Rebel Rising; pictured in May 2023 in Cap d'Antibes, France
!['I want to thank all the people who have come forward and acknowledged my experiences with Sacha Baron Cohen,' Wilson wrote atop a photo of her on stage to chat about her memoir](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/26/17/84136955-13354543-_I_want_to_thank_all_the_people_who_have_come_forward_and_acknow-a-94_1714149820237.jpg)
'I want to thank all the people who have come forward and acknowledged my experiences with Sacha Baron Cohen,' Wilson wrote atop a photo of her on stage to chat about her memoir
![The book has been partially censored in the UK, with sections about Baron Cohen blacked out, while the chapter has been completed censored in Australia. Baron Cohen has strongly denied her allegations; pictured in 2021 in Sydney](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/26/17/84138315-13354543-image-a-16_1714148809655.jpg)
The book has been partially censored in the UK, with sections about Baron Cohen blacked out, while the chapter has been completed censored in Australia. Baron Cohen has strongly denied her allegations; pictured in 2021 in Sydney
The censored UK edition includes and accompanying note blaming the censorship on 'the peculiarities of the law in England and Wales.'
The publisher, HarperCollins, confirmed to MailOnline: 'The book contains some redactions in chapter 23 on pages 216, 217, 218 and 221, as well as an explanatory note at the beginning of the chapter.'
However, the American version of Wilson's memoir was published without alterations and appears to have the full original text.
Wilson added in her Instagram Stories post: 'Thank you for sharing your own stories with me. I am so grateful do you and really appreciate it.'
She concluded with a pink heart emoji, which perfectly matched her hot pink velvet sport coat.
The comic star also had on a sheer black top underneath, along with black leather pants and black suede boots with a modest platform sole.
After Wilson's allegations were detailed in the US version of Rebel Rising, Baron Cohen's spokesperson said: '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 UK version includes a reference to 'the worst experience of my professional life. An incident that left me feeling bullied, humiliated and compromised...' before the note appears, stating: 'It can't be printed here due to the peculiarities of the law in England and Wales.'
The rest of the page is redacted, with black lines also removing shorter details further into in the chapter.
Following news that the chapter would be censored in Australia and New Zealand, a spokesperson for Baron Cohen claimed the decision was a 'clear victory' for the him: 'Harper Collins did not fact check this chapter in the book prior to publication. Took the sensible but belated step of deleting Wilson's defamatory claims,' they siad.
![Wilson's memoir has been published in the UK without redactions and features her original claims](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/26/17/84080849-13354543-Wilson_s_memoir_has_been_published_in_the_UK_without_redactions_-a-95_1714149820281.jpg)
Wilson's memoir has been published in the UK without redactions and features her original claims
![Wilson added in her Instagram Stories post: 'Thank you for sharing your own stories with me. I am so grateful do you and really appreciate it'; pictured in February in Brisbane, Australia](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/26/17/84138305-13354543-image-a-19_1714149174719.jpg)
Wilson added in her Instagram Stories post: 'Thank you for sharing your own stories with me. I am so grateful do you and really appreciate it'; pictured in February in Brisbane, Australia
![The censored UK edition includes and accompanying note blaming the censorship on 'the peculiarities of the law in England and Wales'; Baron Cohen seen in 2016 in NYC](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/26/17/84138317-13354543-The_censored_UK_edition_includes_and_accompanying_note_blaming_t-a-93_1714149820227.jpg)
The censored UK edition includes and accompanying note blaming the censorship on 'the peculiarities of the law in England and Wales'; Baron Cohen seen in 2016 in NYC
![In the UK book, Rebel says she 'rues the day' she met the Ali G actor, whom she describes as her one-time 'idol'; Wilson and Baron Cohen in a scene from The Brothers Grimsby](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/26/17/82865169-13354543-In_the_UK_book_Rebel_says_she_rues_the_day_she_met_the_Ali_G_act-a-92_1714149820117.jpg)
In the UK book, Rebel says she 'rues the day' she met the Ali G actor, whom she describes as her one-time 'idol'; Wilson and Baron Cohen in a scene from The Brothers Grimsby
'Printing falsehoods is against the law in the UK and Australia; this is not a "peculiarity" as Ms. Wilson said but a legal principle that has existed for hundreds of years. This is a clear victory for Sacha Baron Cohen.'
The Bridesmaids star has said her aim was not to cancel Baron Cohen with her recollections in the memoir, but to retell an experience which made her feel 'completely disrespected, which led to me treating myself with even more disrespect by eating in an extremely unhealthy way.'
In the UK book, Rebel says she 'rues the day' she met the Ali G actor, whom she describes as her one-time 'idol.'
She describes how they first met at a dinner party hosted by Little Britain star Matt Lucas, followed by Baron Cohen offering her a role in The Brothers Grimsby.
Wilson played Dawn, the wife of Baron Cohen's character Nobby, a football fan who gets drawn into the world of his secret agent brother.
Last month, she first named Baron Cohen as the celebrity responsible for making threats over the book, after which his representatives hit back.
Taking to Instagram to confirm the identity, Wilson wrote: 'I will not be silenced by high priced lawyers or PR crisis managers. The a****** I am talking about in ONE CHAPTER of my book is: Sacha Baron Cohen.'
As well as her shock comments about the 'disgusting' sex scene in Grimsby, in an interview with The Australian Women's Weekly at the time, the Pitch Perfect star also slammed the film for having her character Dawn wear a burqa in one scene.
She insisted at the time that the scenes were all in the name of comedy: ‘Obviously, I don’t mean any offense to Muslims. I asked my Muslim friend, "Do you think this is all right, to tell the joke we’re telling?” And she said yeah.'
Wilson added: ‘But she’s pretty liberal and lives in New York so who knows? But it is a joke and no offense meant.'
Rebel's post came just two days after she alleged that a celebrity she once worked with was threatening her over the release of the memoir.
![Last month, she first named Baron Cohen as the celebrity responsible for making threats over the book, after which his representatives hit back](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/26/17/84138307-13354543-Last_month_she_first_named_Baron_Cohen_as_the_celebrity_responsi-a-96_1714149820387.jpg)
Last month, she first named Baron Cohen as the celebrity responsible for making threats over the book, after which his representatives hit back
![In the wake of her statement, Sacha spoke out to TMZ via representatives, saying: 'While we appreciate the importance of speaking out, these demonstrably false claims are directly contradicted by extensive detailed evidence...'; seen in 2020 in LA](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/26/17/84138311-13354543-In_the_wake_of_her_statement_Sacha_spoke_out_to_TMZ_via_represen-a-97_1714149820398.jpg)
In the wake of her statement, Sacha spoke out to TMZ via representatives, saying: 'While we appreciate the importance of speaking out, these demonstrably false claims are directly contradicted by extensive detailed evidence...'; seen in 2020 in LA
She detailed: 'I wrote about an a**hole in my book. Now, said a****** is trying to threaten me. He’s hired a crisis PR manager and lawyers. He is trying to stop press coming out about my book. But the book WILL come out and you will all know.'
In an Instagram video shared on March 15, Wilson revealed that she has dedicated a chapter in her book to the 'massive a**hole' she worked with in Hollywood.
Rebel will be discussing her book on a UK tour later this month, with appearances in Edinburgh, Manchester and London, including a chat with broadcaster Fearne Cotton at the London Palladium on April 29.
Representatives for Baron Cohen and publisher Harper Collins were contacted for comment.