Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore’s lawsuit against actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen of “Borat” fame was dismissed by a federal judge in New York on Tuesday.
Moore forfeited his right to sue over a satirical piece that aired on a 2018 edition of Cohen’s comedy series “Who is America?” according to a 26-page judgment by U.S. District Judge John Cronan.
Moore and his wife, Kayla Moore, filed the defamation and emotional distress lawsuit after the former judge was misled into sitting for an interview with Moore.
During the episode, Cohen pretended to be an Israeli counterterrorism expert and used a technology designed by the Israeli army to insinuate Roy Moore was a pedophile.
After allegations surfaced that he had pursued romantic relationships with juveniles while in his 30s, Roy Moore lost a special election for Alabama’s open Senate seat in 2017.
Some of the women accused him of sexual misbehavior, including assault. He has refuted the allegations.
Cronan wrote in his judgement that Roy Moore’s allegations were “barred by the unambiguous contractual language” to which he consented. Kayla Moore’s claims were also banned by the First Amendment, according to Cronan.
“Given the satirical nature of that segment and the context in which it was presented,” Cronan wrote, “no reasonable viewer would have interpreted Cohen’s conduct during the interview as asserting factual statements concerning Judge Moore.”
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