'Rebel Rising': From rough childhood to fertility woes, 6 big revelations from Rebel Wilson's memoir

Stirring revelations from Rebel Wilson's tell-all memoir 'Rebel Rising'

Rebel Wilson has chronicled the journey of her life in her tell-all memoir 'Rebel Rising', scheduled to release on April 2. The 44-year-old Australian actress' new book narrates her journey from navigating a volatile relationship with her father to welcoming her daughter, Royce Lillian, after faring fertility issues. Here are six bombshells from the 'Pitch Perfect' star's much-awaited memoir: 

1. Rebel Wilson shared a difficult relationship with her father

In her memoir, Wilson opens up about her rocky relationship with her father. She writes that her parents Sue and Warwick Bownds worked on the dog show circuit and were "one baby step above being carnies." The actress recalls that one day when she and her sister Liberty watered their mattress to cool it down in the Australian heat, she faced "30 seconds of terror." "Dad comes in. 'What the hell are you two doing?!' He brings his palm up and hits me. Whack. He hits my sister too," writes Wilson about the incident. Having said that, the actress later forgave her father and even wrote a letter and tucked it into his pocket when he died from a heart attack in 2013. 

2. Rebel Wilson was going through a lonely time while filming 'Bridesmaids'

Wilson recalls in her book filming 'Bridesmaids' was "one of the loneliest years of my life," where she said she had only $60 left after paying her rent. The actress even narrates how she returned to her one-room Los Angeles apartment after the movie's premiere and celebrated by eating ice cream. She notes, "I remove my makeup and take out the hairpieces. I look at myself in the mirror. 'See, women are funny!' I say to myself. Then I head to the freezer, pull out a pint of ice cream, and celebrate by eating in front of the TV in an oversized Disneyland nightie until I can’t stay awake anymore."

3. Rachel Wilson was humiliated by Sacha Baron Cohen while working on 'The Brothers Grimsby'

In her book, Wilson shares the supposedly humiliating experience she had to undergo while working with Sacha Baron Cohen on the 2016 movie 'The Brothers Grimsby'. She claimed the comedian asked her to perform a lewd act while they were filming in South Africa. In her tell-all memoir, Wilson wrote, "The movie bombed, which to me was karma enough. I’m not about canceling anybody and that’s not my motivation for sharing this story. I’m sharing my story now because the more women talk about things like this, hopefully, the less it happens." Cohen, however, denied mistreating Wilson in any form.  

4. Rebel Wilson lost her virginity at 35

Wilson reveals that she did not lose her virginity until she was 35 as she was initially "terrified" of sexual encounters. "I was either so innocent, in my teens, or so busy making myself look grotesquely unattractive for comedic purposes, that no romantic opportunity ever presented itself," mentions the 'JoJo Rabbit' star. Moreover, Wilson details having a relationship with a producer named "Mickey" while filming, 'How to Be Single'. She elaborates, "Mickey flew in that weekend. And then it just happens. I finally have sex. It feels amazing. I go to the bathroom and high-five myself. I like my new wild sexual self."

5. Rebel Wilson struggled with fertility issues

Rebel Wilson shares her painstaking pregnancy journey as she recalls being told by a fertility doctor in 2020 that she needed to lose weight in order to produce quality eggs. The 'Pitch Perfect' star discloses that even after she lost 80 pounds (36 kg), the doctor said the embryos she had created with the help of a sperm donor didn't "appear strong enough" to be viable. "I feel such sadness. I’m so alone and I don’t know what to do," writes Wilson about the harrowing experience. 

6. Rebel Wilson's daughter was born with 'last viable embryo'

As Wilson shared previously, her memoir was to end with the amazing story of the birth of her daughter, who happened to be the "last viable embryo" implanted in a surrogate after a strenuous round of egg harvesting. Wilson's fiancee Ramona Agruma was with her as she welcomed her daughter Royce Lillian in November 2022. "She opens her eyes, and she looks at us. We’re a family now," shares the actress about Royce's birth.