Cameraman seeks damages

Sacha Baron Cohen is being sued again – this time over allegations his film crew were rough with a news cameraman at a gay rights rally.

Mike Skiff is seeking at least $25,000 in punitive damages in his lawsuit for assault, battery and inciting a riot.

The filming on the Bruno film took place in November 2008, but papers – which claim the assault was homophobically motivated – were only filed in Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday.

Skiff claims that he was ‘shoved, pulled and wrestled in a vicious and blatant attempt’ to keep him from filming the event. He said he was also afraid he would be ‘clubbed with wooden signs’

At the rally in Los Angeles, Cohen’s character joined a counter-demonstration against homosexual marriages. But a scuffle broke out once he was identified by someone in the crowd.

Skiff, a credited news cameraman at the event, claims his sexual orientation was a major factor. The court papers said: ‘Plaintiff is homosexual, who openly documents newsworthy events of particular event to that community. Plantiff’s sexual orientation was the very purpose of Bruno Productions’ perpetration of the violence and intimidation’.

‘Bruno Productions’ conduct was, inescapably, an egregious affront to the homosexual community and a despicable example of discrtimination, manifested by violence, intimidation and threats’.

The lawsuit alleges that ‘In order to create dramatic content for its own production, Bruno Productions’ intent was to promote violent discourse between the “yes” and “no” factions.’

It says that the 15 or 20 members of the film crew carried signs saying ‘Yes on Proposition 8’ – the California legislation outlawing gay marriage – ‘for the sole purpose of inciting and sparking unrest’.

Skiff is also seeking payment of unspecified medical bills.

Watch footage of the scuffle here, from about the 5minute mark:

Published: 27 Oct 2010