Sacha Baron Cohen sued by woman claiming Bruno left her ‘disabled’
A woman has filed legal action in California, alleging that she now needs a wheelchair or cane to move around after a struggle with Baron Cohen and his crew during a charity bingo tournament. Richelle Olson (37) is seeking unspecified damages of more than $25,000 (£15,275).
According to legal documents, Ms Olson tried to remove a microphone from Baron Cohen/Bruno after he began using obscene language while calling numbers in a charity bingo game. She claims she was pushed over by the actor and attacked by cameraman, who continued to film the incident.
Ms Olsen alleges she then ran from the stage and later fainted in a side room, hitting her head and suffering bleeding in her brain.
This is not the first time that Baron Cohen has attracted law suits. His previous hit movie ‘Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan’ led to several legal actions, many of which were thrown out of court.
It is unclear whether footage of the alleged incident will feature in the movie, which opens in Ireland next month. Ms Olson claims that contracts were signed between herself and film-makers to use the footage, but she claims they were completed under ‘duress’.
Bruno opens in Irish cinemas in July