Actress Rebel Wilson responds to accusations Australian newspaper 'tried to out her'

Rebel Wilson has addressed accusations that a newspaper tried to “out” her, saying she is attempting to handle the situation “with grace”.

On Friday, the Australian actress and comedian announced she was in a relationship with a woman, writing: "I thought I was searching for a Disney Prince... but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney Princess #loveislove".

On the following day, Sydney Morning Herald columnist Andrew Hornery wrote that the paper had known about the relationship days before Wilson went public, and that it had given the Pitch Perfect actress two days to comment.

Mr Hornery said Wilson had "ignored" the Herald's request for comment and instead chose to "gazump" the paper's planned reveal.

Mr Hornery's article faced a huge online backlash, with many on social media saying its unethical to pressure people into coming out.

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In response to one such post on Twitter, Wilson said it was a "very hard situation but trying to handle it with grace".

On Sunday, Herald editor Bevan Shield addressed the backlash, denying that the paper had "outed" Wilson.

"Our weekly Private Sydney celebrity column last week asked Wilson if she wished to comment about her new partner.

"We would have asked the same questions had Wilson’s new partner been a man," he wrote in an editorial.

"We wish Wilson and Agruma well," the article concluded.

Wilson's post revealing her relationship with clothing designer Ramona Agruma received over 1.7 million likes and supportive comments from fellow celebrities, such as Anna Kendrick, Jodie Comer and Ariana DeBose.

A Stonewall spokesperson said: "Coming out is a deeply personal decision. Whether, when and how to come out should be decided by the individual, entirely on their terms.

"It is simply not OK to 'out' LGBTQ+ people or put pressure on us to come out. Media outlets should take care not to sensationalise LGBTQ+ lives and relationships."