Celebrity Mound

A New York judge has tossed out lawsuits brought by a driving instructor and two etiquette school teachers who said the makers of the movie “Borat” deceived them.

Judge Loretta Preska says all three accepted money and signed agreements releasing the filmmakers from liability. She noted in a Sept. 3 ruling the agreements said the plaintiffs consented to appear in a “documentary-style” movie.

In the 2006 film “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen plays an uncouth and anti-Semitic journalist traveling the United States in pursuit of Pamela Anderson. Cohen often fools people with his gag interviews.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs haven’t returned phone messages seeking comment.

Ken Davitian

Sacha Baron Cohen has been hit by a new lawsuit from a man who claims he was “accosted” by the British funnyman in character as Borat in a South Carolina restaurant last year.

Footage of the incident, in which Cohen posed as a toilet attendant, did not feature in his hit movie Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan, but has appeared on the Comedy Central network and the internet.

The plaintiff, who is not named in the lawsuit, accuses Cohen of invading his privacy by staring as he used a urinal. Staff at the Ristorante Divino told the man a tourist documentary was being shot on the premises but he did not see the hidden cameras in the toilet.

The lawsuit makes no mention of a consent waiver and attorney Jonathan Milling insists his client was not paid.

The plaintiff is seeking damages and an injunction to prevent footage appearing on future DVDs.

Romanian villagers who filed a lawsuit against the makers of new movie Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan have been told their allegations are too vague.

New York Judge Loretta Preska has insisted the suit must contain specific factual evidence of the villagers being misled before it can be pursued any further.

Lawyers last month filed the $30 million case against 20th Century Fox on behalf of Nicolae Todorache and Spiridom Ciorebea, residents of Glod, Romania.

The pair allege residents of the town, who were used as stand-ins for Kazakh nationals, were duped into appearing in the film and paid just $4 for participating.

However, 20th Century Fox attorney Slade Metcalf denied the allegations, insisting any papers relating to the villagers should not be released for scrutiny, so that opposition lawyers can search for a breach of contract.

Metcalf also rejected claims villagers had been bribed by the movie’s representatives to keep quiet.

British funnyman Sacha Baron Cohen has been nominated for a national award in Kazakhstan, despite lampooning the country in his latest movie.

Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan was slammed by the central Asian state on it release earlier this year for portraying the country as ridden with superstition, incest, political suppression and religious intolerance.

But Kazakh novelist Sapabek Asip-Uly has called on his nation’s Club of Art Patrons to give Cohen its annual award, according to a letter published by the Vremya newspaper.

He says, “(Borat) has managed to spark an immense interest of the whole world in Kazakhstan – something our authorities could not do during the years of independence.

“If state officials completely lack a sense of humour, their country becomes a laughing stock”.

Earlier this week Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev added his support to the movie, insisting bumbling reporter Borat has raised Kazakhstan’s profile around the world.

British funnyman Sacha Baron Cohen is facing further legal woes after a US woman who featured in his latest movie claims she was misled.

Cindy Streit, who owns an etiquette business, filed a complaint on Thursday with California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, requesting an investigation into possible violations of the California Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Streit was approached by a representative from a Los Angeles-based company called Springland Films wishing to arrange an etiquette session for an “international guest from Belarus Television”, which later featured in Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan.

Streit said she arranged both a sit-down session with Borat, played by Cohen, and a dinner party with some of her friends. Clips of both meetings appear in the movie, including an embarrassing toilet incident.

She recalls, “I had taught him to excuse himself. He did that correctly and went upstairs. The next thing that happened is that he came down the stairs holding this plastic bag with whatever was in it.

“My horror was that he had brought a bag of feces to my dinner table”.

I want to know where in the hell you go to buy that kinda banana hammock?! That’s going on my Hanukah list fo sho!!!

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Sacha Baron Cohen as “Borat”