Rebel Wilson breaks silence following New Zealand and Australia release of redacted memoir

Rebel Wilson poses for photographers upon arrival at the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS benefit at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, during the 76th Cannes international film festival, Cap d'Antibes, southern France, Thursday, May 25, 2023. Photo / Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP

Rebel Wilson has spoken out after a redacted version of her controversial memoir was released in Australia and New Zealand.

The popular actress’ memoir was recently released in the countries. However, due to a legal battle, her fans down under are unable to read a chapter detailing her alleged experience working with famed actor Sacha Baron Cohen.

Now, the Pitch Perfect star has broken her silence on the matter - which saw the entire chapter titled, Sacha Baron Cohen and Other A**holes, printed with blacked out lines through it - stating she was “not happy” about the decision.

Appearing on Channel 10′s The Project, Wilson confessed, “If anything, it’s watered down a bit.”

There’s one particular chapter in Rebel Wilson’s memoir that’s generated a lot of headlines, with chapter 23 literally blacked out in Australia due to defamation laws. She told us if it felt like she was being censored. pic.twitter.com/JGFTMRCWxU

— The Project (@theprojecttv) May 7, 2024

She added: “Yeah, I mean so obviously behind the scenes that was something I was not happy about. I mean Australia is my home country, if anything I want my full story told and I will say … the book is not about that guy. I know there’s been a lot of media about it [Baron Cohen],” she told Sarah Harris. “But it’s not about that guy and it’s just my full life story.”

Wilson continued to state that despite the redaction, she remains grateful that her memoir was released and is available to fans to read as she didn’t want to spend time fighting in court to get it released while she is juggling being a new mum.

The actress welcomed her first child, a baby girl called Royce, in November 2022 with her partner, Ramona Agruma.

Since the redaction hit shelves in Australia and New Zealand, it has earned the title of the most redacted version of the book in the world.

HarperCollins Australia told news.com.au: “For legal reasons we have redacted one chapter in the Australian/New Zealand edition and included an explanatory note accordingly. That chapter is a very small part of a much bigger story and we’re excited for readers to know Rebel’s story.”

Baron Cohen has denied all claims Wilson made in the book.

It comes after the actress made a bold claim about her Bridesmaids co-star Melissa McCarthy, insisting she missed out on a lead role due to the A-lister being “friends” with one of the directors, Paul Feig.

The Mirror reported the actress made the claim during an appearance at the London Palladium last week, telling fans: “So I actually auditioned for the Melissa McCarthy role and they were always going to give it to Melissa because she was their friend.”

Rebel Wilson as Brynn in Bridesmaids – the sister of UK comedian Matt Lucas’ character Gil.

Wilson continued: “So I come in [for my audition] and start improvising and it went on for an hour. You know an audition is good when it goes on for an hour. I got the call and they said ‘You got the part!’ And I went, ‘What, the role?!’ And they went ‘Not that role. You really look like Matt Lucas. He’s this British comedian and he’s already been cast in the film so we’re just going to add you in as his sister.

“So I’m like, ‘Alright!’ I was like, ‘I guess it’s okay, but I really wanted the Melissa McCarthy role’. They were like ‘You’ve been cast in a Hollywood film’ and I was like ‘Yeah, but I don’t really have a role.’”

Despite the alleged snub, Wilson said the role helped launch her Hollywood career and, just a couple of months later, she earned her infamous Pitch Perfect role of “Fat Amy”.