In a recent episode of Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, actress and comedian Rebel Wilson discussed her previous admiration for actor Sacha Baron Cohen, before their collaboration on the film The Brothers Grimsby. Wilson expressed her initial idolization of Cohen from a comedic perspective, citing his work in the original Borat movie as a favorite.

Wilson recalled the moment when Cohen called her up and asked her to be a part of his movie, stating that she felt like she had hit the jackpot and would have done it for free. However, this enthusiasm quickly turned sour, as Wilson went on to level allegations against Cohen for his behavior on set.

One of the allegations Wilson made is that Cohen asked her to "stick" her "finger up his butt." She also claimed that when she mentioned including this incident in her memoir Rebel Rising, Cohen attempted to hinder the book's publication by threatening her through a crisis PR manager and lawyers.

Representatives for Cohen strongly denied Wilson's claims, emphasizing the presence of extensive evidence including contemporaneous documents, film footage, and eyewitness accounts that contradict her allegations.

During her conversation on the podcast, Wilson revealed that her admiration for Cohen had already begun to waver long before filming Grimsby. She recalled a dinner party where she tested out some of her jokes and monologue ideas for hosting the MTV Movie Awards, which was attended by Cohen and other comedians. To her disappointment, Cohen did not find her jokes amusing and expressed his serious concern about her performance.

Wilson found it perplexing that other comedians at the party were more supportive while Cohen, whom she idolized, gave such a critical response. This interaction left her questioning his motives, especially considering that when she performed the same jokes at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, they received laugher and positive reactions from the audience.

Despite her reservations, Wilson accepted the offer to portray Cohen's on-screen wife in The Brothers Grimsby. However, she described feeling uncomfortable during the filming process, particularly due to Cohen's apparent enjoyment in making people feel uneasy. Wilson made her most significant accusation against Cohen, alleging that he asked her to engage in a sexual act in front of his friends, who were filming the incident with their iPhones, leaving her horrified.

Wilson also claimed that Cohen made several comments and requests that made her feel humiliated and degraded, including mocking other women's bodies and pressuring her to appear nude in the film. When she expressed her hesitation to reshoot a "disgusting" sex scene, Wilson alleged that she was threatened with ruining her reputation within the film industry.

In response to these experiences, Wilson opted not to promote The Brothers Grimsby, which ultimately resulted in the film's underperformance. Wilson expressed that she does not seek revenge but acknowledged that the entire ordeal was the worst thing that had happened to her, even though she does not consider herself a victim in the same way as those who have been assaulted.

The podcast conversation shed new light on Rebel Wilson's claims against Sacha Baron Cohen, sparking further discussion on the boundaries and treatment of actors within the entertainment industry.