Outrage over Aussie media giant’s threats to expose Rebel Wilson

Rebel Wilson introduced fans to her new girlfriend Ramona Agruma on social media this week. But the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper has copped backlash after it published a column complaining about how she announced the relationship herself.

In May Wilson teased that she was “happily” in a relationship but did not reveal the identity of her partner.

This week she made her relationship Instagram official: “I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince … but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess,” the Pitch Perfect actor wrote in a caption of a selfie with Ramona.

But in an opinion piece, Sydney Morning Herald columnist Andrew Hornery wrote he had given Rebel two days to comment on her relationship, describing it as a “big mistake”.

“It was 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 another woman, LA leisure wear designer Ramona Agruma, before publishing a single word,” he wrote.

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

Hornery added that she even had her “bestie”, the actor Hugh Sheridan, doing radio interviews on breakfast FM on Friday morning, during which he gloated about introducing the women to each other six months ago.

“Apparently they had hit it off pretty much immediately, but had kept the relationship under wraps,” he said.

“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.”

But social media users were quick to come to the defence of Rebel, slamming the Sydney Morning Herald piece.

BBC reporter Megha Mohan wrote on Twitter, “I’ve just read this @smh piece 3 times to make sure that I wasn’t misreading. The publication messaged Rebel Wilson saying they would out her in 2 days – and is now complaining that she chose to announce her relationship with a woman herself. Quite astonishing.”

Another woman wrote, “Sydney Morning Herald issuing a think piece on how they gave Rebel Wilson 48 hours before outing her to the world, but *she* is the bad person for using that time to come out on her terms has left me flummoxed. What a thing to do, let alone admit to, let alone expect pity for.”

Another person posted: “When I saw ‘the Sydney Morning Herald threatened to out Rebel Wilson and then complained that she scooped them’ I thought someone had leaked an email or something. It never occurred to me that they would publish this narrative of the events in print and expect it go too well.”

Back in May, Rebel, 42, added that she had been looking for love on dating apps, but she was ultimately introduced to her new significant other through a pal.

“I was on and off on the Raya app, but this was a friend set up,” she said. “He had known both of us for at least five years and he thought we would hit it off — and then we did!”

The pair has been hiding in plain sight, as the Senior Year star actually took Agruma as her plus-one to the Vanity Fair Oscars party in March.

The Isn’t It Romantic star, who has lost a tremendous amount of weight over the past year, last dated Jacob Busch, but the pair split in early 2021. She was then linked to tennis player Matt Reid.

Ramona is a fashion designer and entrepreneur who is the founder of LEMON VE LIMON, a sustainable clothing company. She also stars as a brand ambassador for Bee Goddess Jewellery.