Unveiling Rebel Wilson's Raw Truths in Her Memoir "Rebel Rising"

Stretching out below the hallowed Hollywood sign lies a bit of L.A. greenery. Griffith Park is a surprisingly peaceful place given the cacophony around it, although for actor Rebel Wilson, when she first moved here from Australia back in 2010, the idea of hiking these trails seemed a bit weird. 

"Being quite big, I was like, who would find it enjoyable to walk up a hill?" she laughed.

She's always owned her weight. Given the "Pitch Perfect" character that made Wilson famous, how could she not? "That was really the one that really changed my life, and actually made me lots of money – I shouldn't say that!" she laughed.

It was clear it was her talent, not her size, that ensured she wasn't a one-off. "Bridesmaids" was her breakout. She got six movie offers in the two weeks after its release. She was a sure thing, and those around her wanted to make sure she stayed in her lane.  "My agents were against [my] losing weight," she said, "because they thought, Well, you've got such a pigeonhole that is such a valuable pigeonhole – being the fat, funny girl – so we don't really want you to lose that."

It made her relationship with food and fame both complicated and contradictory. "People would see me being this confident big girl, [who] didn't seem to be restricted by being a big girl," Wilson said. "But then, what they wouldn't see is, you know, after a movie premiere coming home and just eating a couple brownies and a couple cupcakes and then a big plate of ice cream and then feeling terrible about myself for doing that."

That's one of the many sobering secrets Wilson is about to reveal this week in her memoir, "Rebel Rising." "If you're going to write a memoir, you may as well just share everything," she said.

The book starts where she did, as a young Melanie Elizabeth Bownds, who had trouble finding friends. She writes that, when she was in elementary school, she sometimes ate her lunch in the bathroom. "Yeah, 'cause I was just so shy," she said. "The thought of going out and talking to people that I didn't know was really terrifying. So, I'd often just sit in the toilet with my little plastic lunch box, and just eat my little cheese sandwich."

Wilson's mother, concerned about her daughter's shyness, signed her up for drama class in an attempt to help her break out of her shell. Despite Wilson's initial resistance, she was pushed into the class and left to discover her talent for storytelling and humor. Her writing, much like her personality, is candid and amusing, delving into personal topics with wit and charm.

In a candid interview, Wilson revealed that she didn't have sex until the age of 35, a fact that she previously felt ashamed of. Despite keeping this secret for years, she now openly discusses it, embracing her journey and experiences.

While much of Wilson's memoir is filled with humor, there are also moments of seriousness, particularly when she recounts her challenging experience working with comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Wilson felt mistreated and targeted during their collaboration on "The Brothers Grimsby," expressing that Baron Cohen seemed to have a bias against overweight women. This personal and professional setback serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities of the entertainment industry.

Recounting her experience, Wilson expressed, "He asked me to do things that made me feel very uncomfortable, humiliated, and kind of degraded as a human being. And yes, I'd played characters before that had used my bigger physicality to my own advantage. But I had agency over that character."

One of the writers and producers of "Grimsby" shared with "Sunday Morning," "This makes no sense …. Not only was Rebel's character consistent with how she was described in the script, which Rebel had read and approved prior to filming, she also had full agency in all aspects of [her character] Dawn."

He is one of at least eight people connected to the film, so far, who have come forward to cast doubt on her claims.

Nevertheless, Wilson writes that when the production had finished, "It really sank in … it felt like SBC [Sacha Baron Cohen] had sexually harassed me."

She told Cowan, "It's not about cancelling him; it's more about expressing my truth, and what happened."

She's felt wronged before. When tabloids in Australia claimed that she had repeatedly lied about her backstory, Wilson took the billion-dollar media company to court, and won. She knew what she was doing: Wilson actually has a law degree from the University of New South Wales. She earned it while still starring in a hit Australian TV series.