Fat Pizza maker Paul Fenech has expressed his dismay and pain over Rebel Wilson’s recent allegations against the popular Australian SBS comedy series.
In her upcoming memoir, Wilson, 44, accuses the show of making her the butt of “fatphobic” jokes and criticizes the work environment she was part of early in her career.
Speaking to Ny Breaking Australia, Fenech, 51, expressed his disappointment at Wilson’s portrayal of her time on the SBS show, labeling her comments as ungrateful.
“Rebel was happy building a career playing the big girl in Hollywood, now she says we did her wrong? We gave her a start, took her all over the world, gave her acting training and TV and feature film opportunities. How ungrateful,” he said, openly challenging Wilson’s story.
Fenech, who has long been recognized for giving newcomers a break into the industry, took particular umbrage with Wilson’s comments, suggesting they were intended to boost book sales rather than reflect the reality of her experience.
Fat Pizza maker Paul Fenech has expressed his dismay and pain over Rebel Wilson’s recent allegations against the popular Australian SBS comedy series
Wilson, in her upcoming memoir, accused the show of making her the butt of “fatphobic” jokes and criticized the work environment she was a part of early in her career.
“I think she’ll do or say anything to sell a book,” Fenech noted, questioning the authenticity of Wilson’s claims.
The Fat Pizza creator then defended his and the show’s support for Wilson early in her career, highlighting the creative freedom and opportunities afforded her.
He added: “We always looked after her and gave her the creative freedom she needed. But look at the end of the day. No thanks. No gratitude, (and calling us fatphobic?)
‘Rebel made her career in Hollywood playing the big girl. Now Fat Pizza suddenly treated her badly? It is painful and disgusting for me to hear this,” Fenech said, underscoring his shock and disappointment at the allegations.
Speaking exclusively to Ny Breaking Australia, Fenech, 51, expressed his disappointment at Wilson’s portrayal of her time on the SBS show and categorized her comments as ungrateful.
Wilson’s accusations surfaced before her book Rebel Rising: A Memoir was due to hit shelves on April 2.
In her book, she details the alleged struggles she faced at Fat Pizza, and generally talks about her battle with body image and the sexism she encountered in the industry.
Her candid story reveals her mother’s disapproval and perceived professional disdain from her male colleagues, which she faced despite refusing to conform to the toxic beauty standards of the time.
“Rebel was happy building a career playing the big girl in Hollywood, now she says we did her wrong? We gave her a start, took her all over the world, gave her acting training and TV and feature film opportunities. How ungrateful,” he said, openly challenging Wilson’s story
Her role in the SBS comedy as Toula, the “overweight girlfriend” of a character named Habib, became a pivotal moment in her career.
Despite the nature of the role, Wilson saw it as an opportunity to break the mold in the film industry.
“I’m showing off my big belly on national television, deliberately making myself look bad for comedic effect,” Wilson said in an exclusive clip obtained by The Herald Sunhighlighting the efforts she made to make her mark in the industry.
The memoir also describes the isolation and loneliness Wilson endured, exacerbated by a “dangerous relationship with food.”
Her role in the SBS comedy as Toula, the “overweight girlfriend” of a character named Habib, became a pivotal moment in her career
Her dedication to her character, even despite her mother’s refusal to watch the show, shows her determination to succeed on her own terms.
However, this path was fraught with challenges, as Wilson claimed she faced “many, many derogatory jokes about my height and appearance” on set.
Wilson’s story goes beyond her personal struggles with body image to include her battle against sexism in the film industry as a whole.
Despite alleged derogatory treatment, she persevered and used her humor and talent to gain entry into what she described as a “special men’s club.”
“I’m showing off my big belly on national television, deliberately making myself look bad for comic effect,” Wilson shares in an exclusive clip obtained by The Herald Sun, highlighting the lengths she has gone to to make her mark printing in industry.
‘I felt like the girl who had been given access to a special men’s club, it was very clear to me what they found funny, and I went along with it. “I was in a boys show, so I had to put up with their fatphobic jokes on my double chin,” she recalled.
However, she claimed that this access came at the cost of putting up with “fatphobic jokes” and striving to prove her worth.
‘I knew the jokes weren’t directed at me personally. My role was to be the big whale who got the laughs, and I loved playing into that,” she added.
Rebel was determined to give Toula’s character “depth” and said she improvised her own lines and fought to get more screen time.
