Sacha Baron Cohen defeated yet another lawsuit from a subject he tricked. The latest is former Alabama Supreme Court justice Roy Moore, who lost a U.S. Senate race amid claims of sexual misconduct. Moore appeared on Who Is America?, Cohen’s show for Showtime, and was interviewed by an Israeli “Anti-Terrorism Expert” named “Gen. Erran Morad.”
During the interview, Morad, or Cohen in disguise, introduced a device that could detect certain enzymes that are secreted only by “sex offenders and particularly pedophiles.” It beeped when it got close to Moore, and he sued. U.S. District Court Judge John Cronan has ruled that an agreement Moore signed bars him from claims of claims of defamation, fraud, and infliction of emotional distress.
COHEN SUES
Cohen, meanwhile, is suing a Massachusetts cannabis dispensary for using an image of his character Borat on a billboard without his permission. The billboard shows him with the thumbs up and the words “It’s nice!” — one of Borat's catchphrases.
“By use of the billboard, the defendants falsely have conveyed to the public that Mr. Baron Cohen has endorsed their products and is affiliated with their business,” according to the complaint filed Monday. “To the contrary, Mr. Baron Cohen never has used cannabis in his life. He never would participate in an advertising campaign for cannabis, for any amount of money.”
Cohen and his California-based company Please You Can Touch LLC are seeking $9 million in damages.