Putting the ‘haha’ in brouhaha — or taking the haha right out of it, depending on your perspective — Sacha Baron Cohen and Universal are being sued by a woman who claims to have been seriously and permanently injured in a fracas that ensued from one of his stunts. Charity organizer Richelle Olson agreed to have Br√ºno appear as celebrity guest at a bingo game for the elderly in Palmdale, California. What could go wrong!? Apparently everything, allegedly.
When he showed up in his notoriously revealing costume, a violent struggle ensued over the bingo microphone — she alleges that “defendants attacked [her] for a period of one to five minutes to intentionally create a dramatic emotional response … while [they] recorded her humiliation and embarrassment.”
In what she describes in court documents as an emotional breakdown after the assault, she hit her head on a concrete slab and has been confined to a wheelchair and walker since due to “brain bleeding.” (Newsweek)
oh, and the incident led to the “demise of her marriage.” Not sure if the bingo brawl makes it into the film, but the footage should be able to prove or disprove the allegations. Sounds fishy; especially that second paragraph about the emotional breakdown and fainting spell. The opportune timing of the lawsuit carries a whiff of anchovies too. Newsweek fails to make clear what TMZ says prompted the scuffle. Olson had attempted to grab the microphone away from Br√ºno, initiating the exaggerated chain reaction.
To end on a lighter note, the July issue of Marie Clair will publish Br√ºno’s “A-Z of Fashion.” Selected quotes after the cut.
“A is for Austria, ze most amazing place in Europe. Ve’re all proud of our country und are raised to try and achieve ze Austrian dream – find a job, get a dungeon und raise a family in it.”
H is for “High-vaisted Jeans”, the fashionista said, explaining: “In terms of human tragedy on a mass scale, vy are zese not getting the attention zat Hurricane Katrina did?”
S is for “September 11th 2001”: “Famous, of course, for being ze day on vich Oscar de la Renta reintroduced ze chambray peasant blouse.”
In a tribute to Naomi Campell, Br√ºno says, “She’s amazing – twenty years in ze business und all ze pressure und fame hasn’t changed her a bit – she’s remained a total bitch.”