In the U.K., Channel 4 has successfully defended a US$800,000 libel case brought against the U.S. version of Da Ali G Show. The plaintiff claimed that Sacha Baron Cohen used her name in a defamatory way during an interview with Gore Vidal, referring to her as a ‘minger’ and accusing her of always trying to ‘amend herself.’

C4, which holds the international licence, filed a motion to dismiss in the U.S. court, and the judge agreed. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Terry Friedman noted that ‘it was obvious that the Ali G character is absurd, and all his statements are gibberish and intended as comedy,’ and then went further to note that ‘altogether, the program is obviously a spoof of a serious interview program. No reasonable person could think otherwise.’