Hollywood actress Rebel Wilson is facing criminal prosecution in Britain over a $67,000 luxury SUV that she insists never even left her garage.
The 46-year-old Pitch Perfect star has been charged with failing to maintain insurance on her Audi Q5 while she was in Los Angeles with her wife, fashion designer Ramona Agruma, who was experiencing pregnancy complications ahead of the birth of their second child.
According to court documents obtained by Britain’s Press Association, Wilson has pleaded not guilty and apologized for what she described as an innocent misunderstanding of British insurance laws.
The Australian-born actress explained that she and Agruma spent approximately five months in California, with their return to London delayed by complications during Agruma’s pregnancy. Meanwhile, their Audi remained parked in a private underground garage at their multimillion-dollar London apartment.
“During this entire time, the vehicle was not used at all and was not kept on the road,” Wilson wrote to the court.
The couple welcomed their second daughter, Rose Estelle, on May 4 and returned to London on May 28. Wilson said she discovered the insurance lapse while opening accumulated mail and immediately purchased a new policy before anyone drove the vehicle.
“Please accept our sincerest apologies, we are not UK residents and I was unaware of the requirement to keep a car insured,” she explained.
But despite her apology, British authorities decided to pursue criminal charges.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency alleges that Wilson’s Audi was uninsured on May 26, just two days before the family returned to London. The agency initially offered her an opportunity to resolve the matter by paying a fixed penalty, but court records indicate she did not respond.
That prompted the agency to bring a criminal prosecution.
Under British law, vehicle owners generally must maintain insurance even when their cars are not being driven. The exception applies when a vehicle has been officially declared off the road through a special government notification.
Simply leaving a car parked in a private garage does not automatically exempt its owner from the requirement.
The seemingly minor oversight could now result in a fine of up to approximately $1,300 if Wilson is convicted.
Her case was initially handled through Britain’s Single Justice Procedure, which allows certain minor offenses to be considered without a traditional courtroom hearing. However, the matter has since been transferred to an open hearing at London’s Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on November 30.
Wilson could be required to appear in person.
The unexpected legal headache comes as the actress continues balancing Hollywood projects with family life. She and Agruma, who married in Italy in 2024, also share an older daughter, Royce, born in 2022.
For now, Wilson maintains that the uninsured vehicle was never driven and that she corrected the problem as soon as she discovered it.
Whether that explanation will persuade the court remains uncertain. But what began as an overlooked insurance renewal has now become a criminal case for one of Hollywood’s most recognizable comedy stars.
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