‘Who is America?’ lawsuit filed against Sacha Baron Cohen can proceed

The lawsuit filed by Roy Moore, a former Alabama chief  justice, against Sacha Baron Cohen stemming from his appearance on the comedian’s show is going ahead.

The decision by a District Court judge in New York to deny a motion to dismiss the 2018 federal suit was announced Monday, The Hill reported. Showtime and CBS are also named.

The suit alleges defamation and emotional distress, and asks for £75m ($95 million) in punitive and compensatory damages.

On the third episode of “Who is America?,” Cohen who is a British Jew, in his guise as Israeli terrorism expert Erran Morad delved into allegations that Moore sexually harassed and assaulted multiple women decades ago, including minors. The allegations came to topple Moore’s Senate campaign in a special election in 2017. Moore has denied the allegations.

Cohen as Morad demonstrates what he calls a pedophile-detecting device that beeps when it comes near Moore. He also gives Moore a prize for his support of Israel.

By the time the episode aired, it was widely known that Cohen was punking public figures.