Cohen Wins Ali G Slander Battle

British funnyman Sacha Baron Cohen has had the last laugh in a legal battle over his TV comedy Da Ali G Show - a judge has dismissed the lawsuit because "no reasonable person" can take the character seriously.

A woman sued the star over claims he defamed her during a sketch on theshow in 2004.

She was referred to only as Jane Doe throughout the legal proceedings but has now been named as Heddi Cundle, a British woman who lives in the U.S. Cundle, who met Cohen 20 years ago in Israel, took legal action after the comic used her name in a skit as wannabe rapper Ali G.

She sued for damages for slander and infliction of emotional distress.

But Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Terry Friedman dismissed the case in a hearing on Tuesday (22Apr09), telling the court the show was obviously a spoof made for entertainment purposes.

He says, "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.

"The actor, Sacha Baron Cohen, never strays from the Ali G character, who is dressed in a ridiculous outfit and speaks in the exaggerated mannerof 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".

Cohen has faced a variety of legal troubles over his comic creations, including a string of lawsuits from members of the public who alleged theywere duped into appearing in his 2006 film Borat Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan. Two of the cases were dismissed by the courts last year (08).