NEW YORK (AP) — Showtime and Sacha Baron Cohen are pushing back against allegations the comedian duped guests on his new show by posing as a disabled veteran.
The network says in a statement Monday that Baron Cohen “did not present himself as a disabled veteran” or wear any military apparel when he met with Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Palin last week on Facebook complained that Baron Cohen “heavily disguised himself” as a disabled U.S. veteran in a wheelchair when she was “duped” into an interview. She challenged Baron Cohen and Showtime to donate proceeds from the show to a veterans’ charity.
In the new show “Who Is America?,” Baron Cohen dons various prosthetics and accents in an attempt to embarrass those on the right and left.