The Australian actress Rebel Wilson claims to have been put under pressure by a newspaper before coming out. The Hollywood star explained that the actions of the “Sydney Morning Herald” put her in a “very difficult situation”.
In the face of massive criticism, the newspaper apologized on Monday for its actions. She had previously given Wilson a deadline to answer questions about their relationship.
Wilson posted a photo of himself and fashion designer Ramona Agruma on Instagram on Friday. She wrote, “I thought I was looking for a Disney prince… But maybe what I really needed all along was a Disney princess.” With this posting with a heart and a rainbow flag, she tried to “master the situation with decency,” explained Wilson on Twitter on Sunday.
The “Pitch Perfect” star apparently preempted an article in the “Sydney Morning Herald”. According to Wilson, on Thursday he had sent questions about her relationship with Agruma, which had not been publicly known until then. The newspaper gave the actress two days to comment.
After Wilson took the necessary initiative with her coming out, gossip columnist Andrew Hornery initially wrote in an article published Saturday, “Big mistake. Wilson decided to twist the story and posted on Instagram early Friday morning about her new ‘Disney Princess’.”
Activists and fans then accused the newspaper of having forced Wilson to come out.
The paper initially denied pressuring Wilson, saying it had asked questions about Wilson’s relationship “with an excess of caution and respect.” Editor Bevan Shields stated, “We would have asked the same questions if Wilson’s new partner had been a man.”
Finally, on Monday, the newspaper apologized and removed the article from its website. Hornery acknowledged the paper’s “mishandling” of Wilson’s coming out. He “deeply regrets that Rebel has found this harsh,” the journalist wrote. “That was never my intention.”
