Australian actress Rebel Wilson and Ali G creator Sacha Baron Cohen have become embroiled in a dispute over her plans to publish what he has described as "demonstrably false claims" about him in her upcoming memoir.
The Pitch Perfect actress has said that an entire chapter of her upcoming memoir, Rebel Rising, is about a difficult working experience with a former co-star.
Wilson has not shared any details, but told her social media followers that she would not be "bullied or silenced" by his lawyers.
The pair starred in the 2016 spy-comedy Grimsby - released in the US as The Brothers Grimsby - alongside Mark Strong, Gabourey Sidibe and Isla Fisher, Cohen's wife of 14 years.
Wilson played Dawn, the girlfriend of Baron Cohen's character Nobby, a football fan who gets enlisted by by his super spy brother to thwart a plan to set off two bombs during a soccer match.
Posting on her Instagram story earlier this month, 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."
In response, Baron Cohen's spokesperson told RTÉ: "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."
Wilson herself has had to defend her reputation in the past. In 2017, she sued Bauer Media, the publisher of magazine Woman's Day, for defamation over articles published in 2015 which alleged she lied about her real name, age and details of her childhood.
Wilson said these articles ripped her reputation "to shreds" and cost her film roles in Hollywood. She won the case.
Wilson's memoir, Rebel Rising, is due for release on 2 April.
