Rebel Wilson Spoke Out After “Outing” Accusations

Rebel Wilson has addressed fans’ outrage after an Australian newspaper revealed its plans to seemingly “out” her. But first, here’s a reminder of how we got here.

In May, Rebel said that she was “happily in a relationship,” revealing that she and her new partner were set up by a mutual friend. At the time, the actor did not share any details about the identity of her partner, nor did she respond to Page Six’s request for comment on the matter.

However, until her post on Thursday, it wasn’t public knowledge that the two were in a relationship, with reports suggesting just months prior that Rebel may have been dating fellow Aussie, tennis player Matt Reid.

With all this in mind, plus the added context of Rebel’s Instagram caption, most fans were quick to interpret the post as her official coming out.

But, the following day, as fans were happily celebrating Rebel’s sweet post, the Sydney Morning Herald published a since-deleted article in which they claimed to have known about the relationship between Rebel and Ramona long before it was confirmed.

And not only that, the newspaper also wrote that they had reached out to Rebel on Thursday and they had given her “two days to comment on her new relationship” before publishing a story on it themselves.

The writer of the piece, celebrity reporter Andrew Hornery, then said that reaching out to Rebel had been a “big mistake,” suggesting that it gave her the freedom to quash their hopes of a story.

“Wilson opted to gazump the story, posting about her new ‘Disney Princess’ on Instagram early Friday morning,” Hornery wrote. “The same platform she had previously used to brag about her handsome ex-boyfriend, wealthy American beer baron Jacob Busch.”

He also brought up Rebel’s successful defamation lawsuit against Women’s Day, who wrongfully branded the actor as a liar. The writer used this suit to argue that Rebel’s decision not to respond to their “discreet, genuine and honest queries” was “underwhelming,” given how “bitterly she complained about poor journalism standards” in her legal battle with the magazine.

And if fans weren’t confused enough, the post then appeared to undermine the historic issue of anti-LGBTQ bigotry within showbusiness, writing of Rebel: “At age 42 and in an era when same-sex marriage is legal in many parts of the world and — thanks to decades of battling for equality — sexual orientation is no longer something to be hidden, even in Hollywood.”

Readers across social media were quick to express their shock and outrage, with many accusing the publication of attempting to “out” Rebel.

In the wake of the immense backlash, the Sydney Morning Herald initially denied accusations that they pressured Rebel, instead claiming that they “simply asked questions and as standard practice included a deadline for a response.”

This only prompted further widespread criticism, and the outlet later issued a full apology, in which Hornery admitted that they had “mishandled steps” in their reporting.

“It is not the Herald’s business to ‘out’ people and that is not what we set out to do. But I understand why my email has been seen as a threat,” he wrote. “The framing of it was a mistake.”

Now, after remaining silent on the matter, Rebel has spoken out for the first time.

In response to one journalist who tweeted their shock and disgust at the publication’s actions, Rebel implied that though she’s finding the situation difficult, she’s taking the high route.