I might be a late bloomer but it seemed to work out'

Documenting her journey from shy beginnings to stardom with plenty of comedy and emotional moments along the way actress Rebel Wilson shares her story in a controversial book

- LUCY ALLEN

Hollywood star Rebel Wilson has been hitting the headlines recently over the release of her new book Rebel Rising. The bombshell autobiography chronicles the outspoken star’s life and career, her unconventional journey to stardom and the emotional and physical lessons she has learnt along the way – as well as some of her most embarrassing moments.

Rebel, 44, who welcomed her daughter Royce via a surrogate in November 2022, is loved-up with fiancée Ramona Agruma following a fairy-tale proposal in Disneyland.

Here, the Australian actress, who made a name for herself through iconic roles in Pitch Perfect, Bridesmaids and Isn’t It Romantic, opens up about her book and the current controversy surrounding it. She also talks about some of the most personal and important issues in her life which it explores – from weight gain and loss, to sexuality, overcoming crippling shyness, and finding love in her forties…

Hi, Rebel! Why release a memoir now?

In 2020, I did an experiment called “the year of health”. And I lost a lot of weight. That garnered more attention than any movie I’d ever done. Then I got an offer to write a book about it. It was going to be “my year of health” but when I got into thinking about my relationship with food and emotional eating I thought, “Well, there’s so many things about my life and past that go into this. And it’s boring to write a book about, ‘Yeah, I exercise for two-and-a-half hours a day and drink eight glasses of water…’”

Is that when you started thinking about your dad?