Cohen Sued By 'Borat' Participants

College Students Claim They Were Defrauded

(CBS/AP)  "Borat," the No. 1 movie in the nation, has done more than make people laugh. It's made some of the people in the film pretty angry.

And now, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann, two fraternity members seen in "Borat" are suing the man who plays the title role, comic actor Sacha Baron Cohen.

In "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," the plaintiffs, who attend the University of South Carolina in Columbia, make drunken, insulting comments about women and minorities.

They brought suit against 20th Century Fox and three production companies. The suit claims a production crew took the students to a bar to "loosen up" before participating in what they were told would be a documentary to be shown outside the United States, and that they signed waivers after drinking heavily. Studio spokesman Gregg Brilliant said the lawsuit "has no merit."

Defense lawyer Mickey Sherman told Strassmann he agrees.

"The star is going to make money. The producers are going to make money. And those college kids are going to make a ton of money. NOT."

Everyone in the film signed consent forms, Strassmann said.

Including feminist Linda Stein.

In a scene in "Borat," Cohen asks her: "Isn't not a problem that a woman have smaller brain than a man?"

"At no time does it occur to me that this is a farce going on here," Stein remarked to Strassmann.

Stein storms off in her scene in the movie, and still doesn't see just what's so funny, asking rhetorically, "Would the Jew laugh at the Holocaust? I don't think so. Would the African-American laugh at slavery? I don't think so."

Both topics are mocked during "Borat."

Speech coach Pat Haggerty, also duped in the film, admitted to Strassmann that he never saw it coming, saying, "They paid me in advance. I should have smelled a rat then."

Stein's not laughing, but she's not suing, either.

"I'm not angry at (Cohen)," she says. "He's a talented man and I wish him luck, although he doesn't need my luck. What did he make? $70 million?"

And counting, Strassmann adds.

[hermit22]

England, huh? That makes sence as to why his accent is so phoney baloney.Encino? England? I just took forgranted he was some fool from California.
That man is heartless. He's got ice water in his veins.

[matisyahu3]

Do you know anything about SBC. He was born/lives in England, where he was not wealthy at all.

[hermit22]

B.S. Cohen most certainly must realy be some little snot that grew up in Encino or Sherman Oaks,CA.

Like maybe he never had enough money to keep up with the Jones so now he is willing to be any kind of disgrace, just so he can finally get noticed and make a little money. tut tut.

[missyx21]

I don't feel sorry for those fraternity guys. They were dumbest part of the movie anyways. They wanted to be in a movie and now they are. And they're mad because they're not getting a share of the money.

The producers might of taken them to the bars and bought the alcohol but did not make them drink.

What are they suing about anyway, it's not like they were ask to get naked or anything.

The only people I feel sorry for are the villagers that were in the movie.