"Bruno" Makes More Waves, Sued by Woman Claiming Injury

Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and buddy Eminem already pulled off a stunt at the MTV movie awards last weekend when Cohen, playing his "Bruno" character to the hilt, descended upon the crowd via a supporting wire and harness and fell into the lap of the apparently angered rapper. We later learned that Eminem and Cohen are good friends, and Em’s profanity-laden response to Cohen bare butt in his face was all an act, as were the apparent rough treatment of Cohen by Eminem’s bodyguards.

With that in the rearview mirror, the news surrounding Cohen and his Bruno character forge ahead with a lawsuit from a woman claiming to have become permanently disabled after an altercation with the off-the-hook comedian. Richelle Olson, of Lancaster, California, recently sued Cohen, claiming that an incident that occurred at a charity bingo tournament that was filmed for Cohen’s forthcoming "Bruno" movie has left her in need of a wheelchair or cane. Olson is seeking unspecified damages that exceed $25,000.

It’s not the first time Cohen has run into legal trouble for his antics. His 2006 movie, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," resulted in a variety of lawsuits from people claiming to have suffered some sort of injury after having been misled by Cohen and "tricked" into being filmed for the film. Cohen’s "Bruno" character is a flamboyantly gay Austrian fashion aficionado that Cohen plays up to maximum effect, filming the reaction of those around him who are seemingly unaware that Bruno’s shtick is an act.