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 the show 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. However Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Terry Friedman dismissed the case in a hearing on Tuesday, 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 manner of 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 they were 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.







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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)