Revisiting Rebel Wilson's 'Brothers Grimsby' Journey Amidst Controversy with Sacha Baron Cohen

Revisiting Grimsby After Rebel Wilson Claims Against Sacha Baron Cohen

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Rebel Wilson is eager to share her time working with Sacha Baron Cohen in the movie The Brothers Grimsby, even though he reportedly tried to prevent her memoir from being published.

In the 2016 comedy film, they both played roles in the story of Nobby, a man portrayed by Baron Cohen, who is on a mission to find his brother Sebastian, played by Mark Strong, while being chased by the Secret Intelligence Service.

After filming The Brothers Grimsby, also known as Grimsby in the United States, Wilson revealed that she had some disagreements with Baron Cohen. She mentioned that her experience on set led her to establish a "no assholes" policy.

In March 2024, Wilson shared on Instagram about her Rebel Rising memoir and why she now has a policy of not working with difficult people. She hinted at naming the specific individual who caused her to adopt this policy in her book.

In a recent video, Wilson shared her experience of collaborating with an actor who she initially chose not to name. She mentioned how some people have a policy of not working with individuals they consider to be unpleasant. At first, she thought this was a reasonable approach. However, she later realized that this referred to older individuals in the industry.

After having a negative experience working with a difficult individual on a project, Wilson admitted to learning her lesson. She referred to this person as a "massive asshole" and even dedicated a chapter to the encounter in her memoir, labeling it as Chapter 23.

In the same month, Wilson accused a former costar of harassing her to prevent her memoir from being published. She identified Baron Cohen as the individual in question and stated on her Instagram Story, "I will not be intimidated or silenced by expensive lawyers or crisis managers. The 'jerk' I mentioned in ONE CHAPTER of my book is Sasha [sic] Baron Cohen."

Baron Cohen's representative responded to the allegations, stating, "While we acknowledge the importance of speaking up, these claims are clearly false and are contradicted by substantial evidence, including documents, footage, and eyewitness testimonies from before, during, and after the filming of The Brothers Grimsby."

Keep scrolling to revisit Baron Cohen and Wilson’s The Brothers Grimsby film amid their feud:

What Was the Plot of the Movie?

Revisiting Grimsby After Rebel Wilson Claims Against Sacha Baron Cohen

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In the film, "The Brothers Grimsby," Sacha Baron Cohen played the character of Nobby, a "dimwitted" man living in an English fishing town with his girlfriend (played by Rebel Wilson) and their nine children. Nobby had been searching for his long-lost brother, Sebastian, for thirty years. Eventually, Nobby and Sebastian (played by Mark Strong) reunite, only to discover that Sebastian is a top MI6 agent who is on the run, falsely accused of a crime. Together, the brothers join forces to save the world and clear Sebastian's name.

Who Was Involved in the Film?

Revisiting Grimsby After Rebel Wilson Claims Against Sacha Baron Cohen

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How Outrageous Were the Story Lines?

The spy action comedy The Brothers Grimsby was written by Baron Cohen, Phil Johnston, and Peter Baynham. The star-studded cast included Baron Cohen, Wilson, Strong, Annabelle Wallis, Gabourey Sidibe, Penélope Cruz, Ian McShane, and even Baron Cohen’s wife, Isla Fisher.

Revisiting Grimsby After Rebel Wilson Claims Against Sacha Baron Cohen

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The Brothers Grimsby wasn't afraid to include daring and wild storylines. For example, Sebastian ends up shooting an AIDS-afflicted Jewish-Palestinian boy, causing blood to spray into Daniel Radcliffe's mouth offscreen, infecting him with the virus.

Later on, Sebastian gets hit by two poison darts in his shoulder and testicle. Nobby steps in to suck out the poison in order to save his brother's life. In another mishap, Sebastian mistakenly injects himself with heroin, thinking it was medicine for his broken ankle.

While fleeing, the brothers find refuge inside an elephant’s vagina, resulting in them getting drenched in elephant semen. Another plot involves the brothers sitting on fireworks in an attempt to thwart a virus, with Radcliffe infecting an unseen Donald Trump with AIDS.

An article from the Sydney Morning Herald in 2014 featured interviews with residents of Grimsby, England expressing their displeasure with the negative depiction of their town.

What Was the Reaction to the Movie’s Release?

Revisiting Grimsby After Rebel Wilson Claims Against Sacha Baron Cohen

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After its 2016 release, The Brothers Grimsby was considered a box-office bomb.

Rebel Wilson has praised Sacha Baron Cohen for his talent and humor. She expressed her admiration for him and enjoyed working with him on set.

Revisiting Grimsby After Rebel Wilson Claims Against Sacha Baron Cohen

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Wilson first accused Baron Cohen of harassment in 2014 after they finished filming The Brothers Grimsby.

On the Kyle and Jackie O Show on Australian radio, Wilson shared, “Sacha is always pushing the boundaries. He would say, ‘Just go naked, it will be hilarious.’ But I would always refuse.” Wilson added, “Sacha and I share the same agent in America. I jokingly told him, ‘I’ll have to call our agent Sharon and let her know how much you’re bothering me.’”

Wilson claimed that during the filming of the final scene, things took a turn for the worse.

According to her, Sacha Baron Cohen asked her to stick her finger up his butt, even though it was not in the script. She felt uncomfortable with the request but Cohen insisted, saying it would be a funny moment.

Baron Cohen never publicly addressed the allegations.

Has Rebel Wilson Made Any More Mention of Sacha Baron Cohen Over the Years?

Revisiting Grimsby After Rebel Wilson Claims Against Sacha Baron Cohen

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In 2017, Wilson disclosed that she had experienced sexual harassment by an unnamed "male star." Some fans speculated that she was referring to Baron Cohen, but this was never confirmed.

In a now-deleted post from November 2017, Wilson expressed her distress about the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood amid the Me Too movement. Despite being known as a strong and confident individual, she shared that even she had a story to tell.

She continued: A male star in a position of power asked me to go into a room with him and then repeatedly asked me to stick my finger up his ass. His male 'friends' tried to film the incident on their iPhones and laughed. I said no multiple times and eventually managed to leave the room.

Wilson remembered immediately calling her agent and filing a complaint with the film studio. She claimed that one of the star's representatives threatened her to be nice and support the star, which she found to be disgusting.

Has Sacha Baron Cohen Said Anything About Working With Rebel Wilson?

Revisiting Grimsby After Rebel Wilson Claims Against Sacha Baron Cohen

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During the promotion of The Brothers Grimsby in 2016, Baron Cohen shared his experience of kissing Wilson on screen. He mentioned to E! News that she was hilarious in the movie. This was one of the rare instances in the last 14 years where he had a onscreen kiss with a woman, apart from his wife. He even humorously rated her kiss as an 8 out of 10.

How Did Rebel Wilson and Sacha Baron Cohen’s Collaboration Resurface?

Rebel Wilson revealed in March 2024 that she was facing harassment from a former costar who was trying to prevent the publication of her memoir, Rebel Rising. Taking to her Instagram Story, Wilson shared, "I wrote about an unpleasant person in my book, and now this individual is attempting to intimidate me." Despite the threats from the individual, including hiring crisis PR managers and lawyers, Wilson affirmed that her book would be released, and the truth would be revealed to everyone. Rebel xoxo.

After she named Baron Cohen in a separate post, the actor slammed the accusations through a spokesperson.

Editor's P/S:

The article sheds light on the tumultuous relationship between Rebel Wilson and Sacha Baron Cohen during the making of "The Brothers Grimsby." Wilson's