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Wilson says that an Australian journalist had "threatened" to publicize the actress's same-sex relationship before the couple was ready to make the announcement.
Rebel Wilson has opened up about being forced to come out not on her time but on the time of a journalist who, according to the actress, threatened to out her.
The Pitch Perfect and Senior Year actor opened up about the circumstances surrounding her public announcement this summer that she was in a relationship with fashion designer Ramona Agruma.
Speaking to The Australian, Wilson explained that she preemptively posted a snapshot on Instagram disclosing her relationship because journalist Andrew Hornery with the Sydney Morning Herald intended to publish Wilson's intimate relationship details.
In early June, she wrote, "I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince ... but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess."
She said she and Agruma didn't hide their relationship, but the couple wanted to share the news at their own pace due to varying levels of family support.
"Across our two families, not everybody is as accepting as what you'd hoped for, and we were trying to be respectful to those people and tell them in our own way," Wilson told The Australian. "Basically, with the situation where a journalist is threatening to out you, you've got to hurry, and some people we didn't get a chance to tell before it came out publicly. And that's not ideal."
Wilson told the outlet that she wasn't worried about her reaction to the exposure. Instead, she said she was concerned about Agruma's well-being with all the unexpected attention.
"It was just a hard few days, especially for my partner, who's not used to being in the public eye and not used to having to deal with stuff like that. It was probably more harmful for her in many respects."
In June, the Sydney Morning Herald responded to Wilson's comment about having to come out writing, "It was with an abundance of caution and respect that this media outlet emailed Rebel Wilson's representatives on Thursday morning, giving her two days to comment on her new relationship with LA leisure wear designer Ramona Agruma, before publishing a single word."
But "Wilson opted to gazump the story, posting about her new 'Disney Princess' on Instagram early Friday morning," the paper continued, adding, "Considering how bitterly Wilson had complained about poor journalism standards when she successfully sued Woman's Day for defamation, her choice to ignore our discreet, genuine and honest queries was, in our view, underwhelming."
The Herald received backlash over its response.
In the recent interview, Wilson said that forcing a couple to announce their same-sex relationship in the current day and age is regressive.
"To me, in 2022, love is love," she said. "I didn't think it was that big of a deal and that we should kind of be forced to make an announcement about it. But that happened."
The interview with The Australian coincided with a recent showing of her latest film, The Almond and the Seahorse, Wilson's first dramatic role. She stars opposite Charlotte Gainsbourg, who plays her lover in the film.
