Australian star Rebel Wilson is embroiled in another social media fracas after she and girlfriend Ramona Agruma joined a glittering cast of A-listers at the opening of a luxury hotel in Dubai.
Beyoncé led the starry line-up at Saturday’s opening of the Atlantis The Royal hotel – reportedly being paid $US24 million ($34 million) for a private one-hour concert.
Other stars in attendance included Beyonce’s husband, rapper Jay-Z, model Kendall Jenner and British singer Liam Payne.
“Atlantis The Royal is BEYond! What a weekend with BEY,” 42-year-old Wilson wrote in an Instagram post on Monday (Australian time).
The post featured video and pictures of Wilson and Ms Agruma hand-in-hand enjoying all the features of the the luxury hotel.
But the promotion has sparked controversy, because of the United Arab Emirates’ strict rules against homosexuality.
Punishments include fines, deportation, hormone therapy and up to 14 years’ jail. Overseas visitors caught breaking the stringent laws are usually deported, but some have also been imprisoned.
“Human rights? LGBTQ? Unfollowing now,” wrote one of Wilson’s 11.3 million Instagram fans.
“Aren’t you a member of LGBTQ+ community? The hypocrisy of it all,” wrote another.
There was also criticism on Twitter.
“Rebel Wilson and her partner are there even though they are not allowed to legally be involved in a same-sex couple by Dubai law; she is happy to take their money? I genuinely don’t know how this sits well with them,” one user wrote.
Tweet from @MJSkeen
Wilson revealed her relationship with fashion designer Ms Agruma in mid-2022, after an Australian journalist threatened to out her.
“I thought I was searching for a Disney prince … but maybe what I really needed all this time was a Disney princess,” she wrote on Instagram in June.
Later in the year, she told The Australian that Sydney Morning Herald columnist Andrew Hornery, who broke the story, had engaged in “grubby behaviour”.
“Basically, with the situation where a journalist is threatening to out you, you’ve got to hurry, and some people we didn’t get a chance to tell before it came out publicly. And that’s not ideal,” she said.
In November, Wilson also revealed she had become a mother. She welcomed her “beautiful miracle”, baby girl Royce Lillian, who was born via surrogate.
“I can’t even describe the love I have for her,” she posted.
“I am forever grateful to everyone who has been involved, (you know who you are),” she wrote.
