Sacha Baron Cohen is most commonly know for his role as the West Side wannabe gangster Ali G. The character boasted some rare talents that resulted in a BAFTA for the Ali G Show, and led to a music video appearance with Madonna. But it appears that the latest character created by the Londoner hasn’t gone down too well in the US.
Since the filming of Bruno in 2025, a film that revolves around Cohen’s latest character, a 19 year old Fashion Show Presenter from Austria, Cohen has found himself facing charges of assault and battery in a US court.
Richelle Olson and her husband claimed that during the filming of the 2025 film, Cohen’s character arrived at a 2025 Charity Bingo and proceeded to take the role of bingo caller, and took over the proceedings. During the bingo calls Cohen is alleged to have made allusions to his former male partner. This is believed to have been an attempt to get a reaction from the crowd, as is the style of Cohen’s work.
The scenes did not make the final cut and were not shown in the movie, however Universal Pictures presented the unedited footage of the bingo hall scenes to the court for consideration. Olsen’s Lawyers changed the lawsuit to one of “Emotional Distress”.
The court ruled that Cohens actions during the scenes, satirized the bingo players’ views on homosexuality and gay culture and thus were constitutionally protected speech.
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