Judge dismisses Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘Da Ali G Show’ slander lawsuit

London, April 24: A judge has dismissed the lawsuit a woman filed against British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and his former show ‘Da Ali G Show.’

The woman filed the lawsuit over claims Cohen defamed her during a sketch on the show in 2004. Throughout the legal proceedings, she was referred to only as Jane Doe but has now been named as Heddi Cundle, a British woman who lives in the US. Cundle, who met Cohen 20 years ago in Israel, sued him after the comic used her name in a skit as wannabe rapper Ali G. However, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Terry Friedman threw out the case, saying the show was obviously a spoof made for entertainment purposes. “No reasonable person could consider the statements made by Ali G on the program to be factual. It is obvious that the Ali G character is absurd, and all his statements are gibberish and intended as comedy,” a news daily quoted Friedman as saying. "The actor, Sacha Baron Cohen, never strays from the Ali G character, who is dressed in a ridiculous outfit and speaks in the exaggerated manner of a rap artist. Ali G`s statements are similarly absurd. The program is obviously a spoof of a serious interview program. No reasonable person could think otherwise," Friedman added. ANI