A Palestinian grocer has reached a settlement after suing Sacha Baron Cohen for portraying him as a terrorist in 2009's movie 'Bruno'.
- Jul 20, 2012
AceShowbiz - A Palestinian grocer who was portrayed as a terrorist in the movie "Bruno" has settled the slander suit he filed against the film's star Sacha Baron Cohen. His lawyer announced that a settlement was agreed upon on Thursday, July 19.
The grocer in question is Ayman Abu Aita. He was interviewed by Cohen for his 2009 mockumentary/comedy where he played a journalist. Aita said in his court complaint that when the actor interviewed him in character, he believed that he was speaking to a real journalist about peace activism.
In the scene that shows Aita being interviewed, the caption appearing under his name indicated that he was a terrorist group leader who is a part of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' brigade. In his complaint, the plaintiff said that he's a Christian and "a peace-loving person" who has never been associated with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade or any terrorist group.
Aita claimed his appearance in the movie sparked death threats against him and led him to fear for his family's safety. In addition to Cohen, actor Jonah Hill who was a co-producer, and David Letterman who played the clip on his talk show when he interviewed Cohen were named as defendants.
The details of the settlement are confidential.
Sacha Baron Cohen is known for his outrageous characters. He was also sued after releasing "Borat" in 2006. Many people featured in the mockumentary-style film claimed that they were misled by the makers of the movie.
