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Borat 2: Family of Jewish subject Judith Dim Evans has lawsuit ‘dismissed’ by judge

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

A lawsuit filed against Borat 2 by the estate of one of its subjects has been thrown out.

The family of Judith Dim Evans, a late Holocaust survivor who appears in the new film, sued the film’s makers ahead of its release.

Evans’s family claims she had no idea about the true nature of the film and that Baron Cohen was “mocking Jewish culture”.

However, a source close to the film’s production says that not only did Evans know what the actor was doing, but there is footage of her being told.

Baron Cohen is said to have revealed his true identity for the first time after deeming the scene too sensitive.

Fulton County Georgia Judge Kevin Farmer took the film's side when considering the lawsuit.

Attorney Russell Smith, speaking on behalf of Amazon, said: “The lawsuit was dismissed, unconditionally."

He said that Baron Cohen “was deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with Judith Dim Evans, whose compassion and courage as a Holocaust survivor has touched the hearts of millions of people who have seen the film”.

He added: “Judith’s life is a powerful rebuke to those who deny the Holocaust, and with this film and his activism, Sacha Baron Cohen will continue his advocacy to combat Holocaust denial around the world.”

According to legal documents obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Evans, who died this summer, was approached in January to talk about the Holocaust for what she believed was a legitimate documentary.

Sacha Baron Cohen is said to have revealed his true identity for the first time during ‘Borat 2'YouTube
Sacha Baron Cohen is said to have revealed his true identity for the first time during ‘Borat 2'YouTube

However, the film – which is dedicated to Evans – was in fact Cohen's comedy sequel.

It was reported that Baron Cohen deemed it necessary to fill in his subject on who he actually was out of respect, and that Evans knew he was “playing an ignorant character as a means of Holocaust education”.

The lawsuit was brought by Evans’s daughter Michelle Dim St Pierre against Amazon Prime and Oak Springs Productions.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – starring Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova – is available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video.

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