Actress Rebel Wilson is speaking out for the first time about the traumatic experience that forced her to come out via Instagram in the summer of 2022.
In the summer of 2022, Rebel Wilson came out via Instagram and the LGBTQ+ community welcomed her with open arms. But unfortunately, there is a sad story behind her coming out post: a newspaper forced her to come out. Such a revelation can, in the worst case, put the person in a dangerous situation by making them hostile to their family and environment. And of course, even as a public figure, one should be allowed to deal with one's identity in a self-determined way. Rebel Wilson has now spoken to Australian magazine The Austrailian for the first time about her coming out and calls the whole situation "dirty" and "not right".
Here's how Rebel Wilson was forced to come out
In June 2022, actress Rebel Wilson posted a picture with Ramona Agruma, showing her 11 million Instagram followers:inside her new girlfriend – and simultaneously outed herself as queer. Under her Instagram picture, Rebel Wilson wrote: "I thought I was looking for a Disney prince but maybe what I really needed was a Disney princess #loveislove".
It soon emerged, however, that Rebel Wilson had not decided to share her love with the world by herself at all, but that she had been forced to do so by a journalist. The Australian daily newspaper Sydney Morning Herald gave the actress an ultimatum: Either she would come clean about her relationship or an article would be published two days later stating that she was in a relationship with a woman. Rebel Wilson beat the newspaper to the punch, took her story into her own hands and shared her relationship with the world on Instagram beforehand.
Here's what Rebel Wilson has to say about her compulsion to come out
Speaking to The Australian now for the first time about the experience, Rebel Wilson reports that even some family members and friend:s were still unaware that she was in a relationship with a woman. "Basically, when a journalist threatens to out you, you have to hurry up. Some people we couldn't tell because of that before it was then made public. And that wasn't right."
Rebel Wilson is particularly shocked that she was unable to publicise her and her friend's sexuality on her own terms and at the appropriate time. "There are different stages when you come out to people," Rebel Wilson explains. "First you tell your closest family circle, your friend:s, but not everyone yet. In both of our families, there are people who are not as tolerant as you might want them to be. We wanted to respect these people and tell them at the appropriate time." That decision was taken away from them by the daily newspaper.
The outing affected not only Rebel Wilson, but also her friend Ramona Agruma
Ramona Agruma, Rebel Wilson's girlfriend, in particular, couldn't handle all the attention the couple received after coming out. Ramona Agruma is a Los Angeles designer who is not a "public figure". "It's been a rough couple of days," Rebel Wilson reports, "especially for my partner because she's not used to being in the public eye and dealing with that kind of attention."
No one should be forced to be public about their identity. It's sad that sexuality is still used these days to write a lurid headline and boost sales.
The editor of the Sydney Morning Herald could not understand Rebel Wilson's excitement and said that the newspaper just wanted a comment from her before publishing the article. The case of Rebel Wilson shows once again how horrible a forced outing can be. One of the many problems the LGBTQ+ community still has to deal with.