I am sure you all remember the legal headaches, and all of the lawsuits surrounding Cohen’s last hit, Borat, but I am rather surprised that the lawsuits have already started for his latest film, Bruno, which isnt even in theaters yet.
Reuters says:
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Movie studio Universal Pictures on Friday responded to a lawsuit filed earlier this week against its parent company and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen calling it “frivolous” and saying its claims were “baseless.”
California resident Richelle Olson sued Cohen and Universal Pictures’ parent NBC Universal, the media division of General Electric Co., in Los Angeles Superior Court over an encounter with Cohen when he was filming his movie “Bruno.”
Olson claims Cohen showed up at a charity bingo event in 2007 as the flamboyant gay Austrian character Bruno and pushed her. Olson says she fell and was surrounded by cameramen who attacked her. Later, she says she fainted, hit her head causing bleeding to her brain, and must now use a wheelchair.
Universal later made a statement that the claims were false and that after reviewing the footage that Olson was never assaulted by Bruno, or the crew, and that she obtained no injuries. I am a bit skeptakle about the lawsuit myself, but I am sure it is the first of MANY to come. During the making of Borat, Cohen was involved in more than 100 police reports, and several lawsuits. It almost makes you wonder if it was worth it to make another film and have to deal with all of the legal battles that will surely be involved.
Bruno