Attorneys for forthcoming Sacha Baron Cohen film Bruno are threatening Richelle Olson — who filed a lawsuit claiming Cohen and his crew beat her up at a charity Bingo game — for making a "demonstrably ludicrous and false complaint," according to The Hollywood Reporter. In a letter sent Friday from the movie's counsel Russell Smith to Richelle and Lance Olson's lawyers, Smith says he will use "every legal remedy" if they do not file for a voluntary dismissal of their complaint: "If you and your clients persist with this frivolous lawsuit andrelated defamation, we will seek fines, damages, and attorneys' feesagainst you and your clients." The letter also contains new details about what the filmmakers claim happened: "Mr. Baron Cohen never touched Ms. Olson, much less assaulted her. Tothe contrary, Ms. Olson assaulted Mr. Baron Cohen, grabbing his armsfrom behind and attempting to pull him out of a chair." It goes on to say that the filmed footage proves no one attacked Richelle Olson and that while Olson's complaint alleges Cohen used "vulgar and offensive language over the loudspeakers of the Bingo hall," Cohen "offered only light-hearted comments that were met with general laughter from the audience, and even applause." The letter also argues that Olson signed a release promising not to sue.
Jun 9
2009
01:00 PM ET
'Bruno' attorneys threaten Olson and her lawyers
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Strangely enough, I actually believe Cohen’s attorneys. What is the world coming to?
Me to Emma!
it’s not assault when you touch someone. that’s called battery. assault is the threat of violence, commonly associated with a display of force. someone needs to retake crim law.
You might want to work on your understanding of the law prior to your finals. It says that Cohen did not touch the woman, much less assault her.
It makes perfect legal sense. Cohen didn’t touch her, or put her in any direct threat of imminent personal injury. Words alone from a microphone that offend an individuals senses is not an assault. In order for their to be an assault the individual must be put in imminent threat of physical harm.
If Cohen’s attorney’s statement is accurate then the woman was never assaulted and reacted to words that offended her sense of right and wrong and did not result in a threat to her personal well being.
Cohen’s attorney’s use of the word assault in reference to the woman’s actions towards Cohen are clearly used in the common English use of the word assault and not how the word is used for a legal claim, which in fact was not made by Cohen.
I study for bar and fail because I be reading da Blogs all the days leaving da stupid comments about legal stuffs professing ma superiority over all you non-laywers.
no one should be questioning my expertease. You wants some law suits. I be doing them soon enough. I be in law school you know. Best watch out!
Milos Forman’s ground breaking 2006 movie The People vs. Larry Flynt set the precedent for all legal movies thereafter. Once this goes to trial Milos will have his people pound out a script which will include an initial biograpical setup with outcast underpinnings in place before settling into a nicely paced court room drama, a metaphor that literally vindicates the main character by the end.
Hey “for anon law student” – nothing you said made sense. Nothing. Maybe you shouldn’t go around acting like you can correct anyone just because you watched a Law & Order episode last night, hmmmm? Total fail.
Bill S Preston’s understanding of a joke is the only total fail here.
Duke: Look over there. Two women f—ing a polar bear.
Gonzo: Please, don’t tell me those things. Not now, man.
and another thing anon law student, i’m gay and i like having sex with other men up my cornhole.
More details about this bingo assult
I was willing to give this lady the benefit of the doubt that she felt threatened by Cohen. While I love his schtick to pieces, sometimes he can go a little too over the top with his acts & initially thought that may be the case here. Now the more I hear, the more it sounds like this lady is just trying to get a payday out of it. There’s still a tiny sliver of doubt that she could’ve been harassed, but that sliver is slowly disappearing the more I hear about it.