Sacha "Borat" Cohen Lawsuit Fest

So, the guy makes a really funny movie, is really successful (except he doesn't get paid that much, really) and what happens? People sue him.

NOV. 7 Turkish freelance journalist Mahir Cagri -- who wears bad suits, sports a moustache, is obsessed with sex and speaks in mangled English -- claims Cohen ripped off the Borat character from him. He says he's considering a lawsuit unless Cohen apologizes publicly. Skeptics wonder why he waited until after the film's huge opening weekend to speak out -- and if he would have done the same if it had stiffed.

[Ed. Note: It seems the Borat character dates from before Mahir's Internet Celeb status]

NOV. 10 Two South Carolina frat boys, who are seen making racist and sexist comments in the movie, sue Cohen and the producers for US$25,000, claiming they were duped into participating and suffered humiliation and mental distress as a result. They also say they signed release forms to appear in the film only after producers intentionally get them drunk. Skeptics note the boys didn't need much prodding to imbibe -- or decry the demise of slavery, for that matter -- on screen.

NOV. 11 An out-of-costume Cohen reportedly gets punched in the face in Manhattan when he tried some Borat shtick on a non-amused passerby, who wailed away on Cohen until his drinking buddy for the evening, actor Hugh Laurie (of House fame), came to his rescue. Skeptics smell a rat, wondering why Cohen -- who's basically lived the last six months as Borat -- would ever do such a thing.

NOV. 14 Dirt-poor villagers in tiny Glod, Romania -- which stars as Borat's Kazakh hometown in the movie -- threaten to sue the filmmakers for mocking them and -- perhaps warming up to the ways of Hollywood -- for not giving them a share of Borat's box-office haul.

More.

Listen up... you know who really makes money in lawsuits? The lawyers.