REBEL'S BIG SCOOP

How the actress revealed she was dating a woman before a journalist could break the story

- KIM ABRAHAMS

SHE was her plus one at this year’s Vanity Fair Oscar Party, she popped up in many Instagram snaps and in a recent interview Rebel Wilson raved about the new romance in her life.

Yet it took a social media post before the world knew the full story: the Australian actress had found love with US fashion and jewellery designer Ramona Agruma.

“I thought I was searching for a Disney prince,” Rebel said. “But maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney princess.”

There was an outpouring of love and support – followed swiftly by a dose of controversy. Andrew Hornery, a columnist with the Sydney Morning Herald, wrote an article complaining that the Pitch Perfect star had scooped his story.

He was all set to reveal the relationship in his column and had given her two days to comment on her new romance – but before his story could be published, she told the world about it.

Allowing her time to comment was a “big mistake”, he said. “Wilson opted to gazump the story.”

“Who anyone dates is their business,” he added. “But Wilson happily fed such prurient interest when she had a hunky boyfriend on her arm.”

Rebel’s fans and the LGBTQ community were outraged, saying the actress was pressured to come out so she could handle things her way. She addressed the issue on Twitter, saying it was a “very hard situation” but that she was trying to handle it “with grace”.

Hornery eventually withdrew his column and apologised, saying as a gay man he was aware of the pain of discrimination and regretted that Rebel had “found it hard”.

“We mishandled steps in our approach,” he said. “The tone was off. I got it wrong.”