A humiliated etiquette business owner in Alabama named Cindy Streit places a complaint requesting an investigation into the methods used to get her to participate in "Borat."
- November 17, 2006
AceShowbiz -
Endless problem continues to afflict "Borat" following its controversial content. A woman owning an etiquette business featured in the flick being handed a plastic bag supposedly containing feces by the title character has reportedly filed a complaint yesterday, November 16, with California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, requesting an investigation toward the filmmakers for possible violations of the California Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Cindy Streit, the name of the woman, alleged that she was told that the shooting would be used for a documentary in Belarus instead of a fictional film and got so shocked upon learning that she became the object of ridicule in the movie.
"I am mortified at forever being portrayed in an R-rated movie with the most horrifying, pornographic scene imaginable to me," so she said at a press conference held at the same day by her attorney Gloria Allred.
"It was the most horrible, disgusting horror story that I endured," she added, revealing that people approach her on the street laughing.
Streit's nightmare began when she was contacted by a representative from an L.A-based company called Springland Films to arrange an etiquette session for an "international guest from Belarus Television." With this thought, she then willingly held both a sit-down session with Borat, played by Sacha Baron Cohen, and a dinner party with some of her friends in Alabama. Things went quite well during the dinner until Borat returned from the bathroom and handed her the bag.
Though very humiliated, Streit claimed that she would not rule out a lawsuit against the filmmakers and wants the matter investigated first in hopes of setting a precedent that will make studios think twice before letting their talent run amok like that.
"Cindy wants to protect others from becoming victims of those who would use deceptive business practices in order to make a profit at their expense," so Allred remarked.
Concerning this problem, spokesman for 20th Century Fox Gregg Brilliant strongly denied that Streit was not informed that the shooting was for a commercial feature.
"Cindy Streit signed written agreements with the production, which clearly stated that a movie was being filmed and that the movie could be distributed worldwide," he claimed. "Her fee was negotiated and paid."
