A Palestinian man suing the makers of Brüno for being portrayed as a “terrorist group leader”—when he is, in fact, a socialist “community organizer”—has refiled his case with a few more recognizable names added to his list of defendants: Actor Jonah Hill and director Jay Roach, both co-producers on the film, have now joined Sacha Baron Cohen and NBC Universal in the complaint. The defamation suit also includes David Letterman’s Worldwide Pants production company and CBS, who were roped into the proceedings back in December after Letterman featured the scene during an interview with Cohen.
Both NBC Universal and CBS had filed a motion to dismiss the case late last year, pointing out that neither Cohen nor the Palestinian man in question, Ayman Abu Aita, are U.S. citizens, which would remove it from U.S. jurisdiction. However, Aita has come back undeterred, seeking $110 million as compensation for suffering, in his words, “"death threats; shame; loss of reputation; loss of effectiveness as a community organizer and conciliator; depression and anxiety; loss of business to his family market; and fear for the well-being and safety of his wife, children, and his relatives." Here’s the scene in question, the mere posting of which probably means we’re ripe for suing as well. Luckily, we don’t have any money!
