Borat Subsequent Moviefilm producers and Amazon Studios are being sued by the estate of Holocaust survivor Judith Dim Evans. The estate claims that Evans, who passed away before the lawsuit was filed, was interviewed by Sacha Baron Cohen under false pretenses and is featured in the film without her permission.
As with its predecessor, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is a mockumentary featuring interviews conducted by Baron Cohen in-character as the titular Kazakh journalist. Among the topics explored in the sequel are the global pandemic and President Donald Trump's relationship with deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with Vice-President Mike Pence and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani being among the notable figures who make appearances. Evans, who is described in the lawsuit as a well-known speaker, university professor, and authority on the Holocaust as well as Jewish Culture, also appears in the film alongside a friend to share her own story of surviving the Holocaust.
However, the estate of Evans has filed a complaint against Amazon Studios and Borat 2 producer Oak Springs Productions for using her likeness in the film, claiming she was not informed that it was comedy she agreed to be interviewed for. However, Deadline reports that Baron Cohen revealed his true identity to Evans and explained that his intention was not to mock Jewish culture or the fact that she is a Holocaust survivor. Rather, Baron Cohen hoped to have Evans challenge the ignorance of his fictional anti-Semite character by sharing her own story. Footage of Baron Cohen breaking character during this exchange reportedly exists and the film is said to be dedicated to Evans' memory.
"We have made multiple requests for any footage of Ms. Evans and the producers have refused to provide it. We do not have any further comment regarding Mr. Cohen’s characterization of his conversation with Ms. Evans until we are able to review the film," said Evans estate attorney Adam L. Hoipkemier in a statement to The Wrap. The lawsuit also notes that producers attempted to pay Evans and her friend for their participation, though both declined. Lawyers for the estate have also filed a temporary restraining order to prevent the sequel from being released on October 23rd.
Should the temporary restraining order prove to be successful, it could stand in the way of Baron Cohen's core mission with the Borat sequel. Before Amazon officially acquired Subsequent Moviefilm, the filmmakers were eying a release date ahead of the 2020 United States presidential election in hopes of convincing younger voters to cast their ballots.
Producing and releasing Borat 2 appears to be more difficult than Baron Cohen might have imagined. Despite putting himself into potentially dangerous situations before, Baron Cohen recently admitted to fearing for his life while filming a scene at a pro-gun rally for the Borat sequel.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is scheduled to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on October 23rd, 2020.