- author, Steven McIntosh
- stock, Entertainment reporter
Australian actress Rebel Wilson's autobiography has been published in the UK – but a controversial section has been redacted.
The release of Rebel Rising earlier this month caused a storm in the US due to Wilson's allegations against protest star Sacha Baron Cohen.
The British edition of the book, published on Thursday, has blacked out text believed to be related to him.
A note on the page added that the amendment had been made « due to the peculiarities of the law in England and Wales ».
A spokesman for Baron Cohen said the amendments represented a « clear victory » and reiterated its position that Wilson's claims were « provably false ».
A spokesman for publisher HarperCollins told BBC News: « We publish every page, but for legal reasons, in the UK version, we edit most of one page with a few other minor edits and an explanatory note.
« Those pieces are just a very small part of a much bigger story, and we're excited for readers to get to know Rebel's story as the book is published. »
A spokesman for Baron Cohen told BBC News: « Harper Collins did not check this chapter in the book before publication and took the prudent but too late step of removing Rebel Wilson's defamatory claims once they were proven false.
« Printing falsehoods is against the law in England and Australia; it is not a 'peculiar' as Mrs. Wilson says, but a legal principle of several hundred years. »
Wilson said the claims were « provably false » and a « shameful attempt » to sell books.
Other sections of the British version contain further corrections, but are very short with occasional sentences omitted.
Baron Cohen has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, and the British comedian's lawyers said the evidence showed his allegations had « no basis in fact » and were part of a « cynical business ploy to promote his book ».
They have provided video footage of a scene in question, as well as email exchanges, script excerpts and testimony from producers and crew members, as his lawyers support his case.
In a statement earlier this month, a spokesman for Baron Cohen said: « While we appreciate the importance of speaking out, these blatantly false claims are directly contradicted by extensive and extensive evidence, including contemporary documents, film footage and eyewitness accounts. And after the production of The Brothers Grimsby. »
The Daily Mail published outtake video footage of one of the scenes described by Wilson. He said the release of the « unauthorized and misleading » footage was « bullying and gaslighting me ».
Bad reviews
image source, Good pictures
The book has not yet received positive reviews from British critics.
« While no one expects a popular memoir to be carried by its elegant prose, I fear the writing in Rebel Rising is distracting, » he wrote.
Watkins described the « clangers » in the book as « a shame » because Wilson's life story is interesting and his voice is often compelling.
He concluded: « Despite my gripes about the writing, there's no doubt that it feels conversational—for fans of Wilson, Rebel Rising will be a treat, like sitting across from her with a glass of wine. Meanwhile, less dedicated readers may need more than one stiff drink. » «
He said the British version was more like « weak jokes and self-indulgence ».
« Rebel Rising has an openness that sometimes isn't to its advantage, » Robbie said. « Wilson includes old diary entries about her fluctuating weight and determination to 'make her own destiny': these read like Bridget Jones if Helen Fielding had lost her touch.
« Yet, there's an audacity to flaunting them around in public, which goes hand-in-hand with Wilson's look-no-filter persona. »
