Sacha Baron Cohen, the creator and star of the Borat series of movies, has just revealed in a new interview that the iconic scene in the original film where Borat kidnapped Pamela Anderson led to her divorce from musician Kid Rock. He also noted that the event was staged and done with the full consent of the former Baywatch star.
Cohen said during an appearance on The Last Laugh podcast that Anderson was in on the gag during the filming of the 2006 flick Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.
In the film, Borat Sagdiyev attempted to put Anderson in a traditional “marriage sack” during her appearance at Virgin Megastore and bring her back to Kazakhstan to be his wife.
“She was the only person in on that movie, yes,” said Cohen, as reported by The Daily Beast of the actress’ knowledge of the events that would occur. “Otherwise, it would have been kidnapping.”
He revealed on the podcast that the iconic scene was actually shot twice to get a better reaction from the crowd at the Virgin Megastore signing.
The comedian admitted that Anderson was injured after he picked her up, attempted to put the sack on her, and accidentally hit her jaw.
He also revealed that Anderson’s then-husband Kid Rock was none too happy about the events that transpired in the film. In fact, he was reportedly so enraged that Anderson participated in the making of the irreverent and controversial movie that he stormed out of the screening.
CBS News reported that Rock and Anderson attended a private screening of Borat at the home of Universal Studio bigwig Ron Meyer where Rock reportedly said to his wife in front of those in attendance that she had humiliated herself. He also reportedly called her a “whore” and a “slut.”
Cohen quipped that on the couple’s official divorce papers, filed in November 2007, the reason for their split was one word, “ Borat .” The couple was only wed for four months at the time of their filing, having married in July of that same year on a yacht near the French Riviera resort of St. Tropez.
People Magazine reported that Anderson said of her former husband at the time of their split that he was “great in many ways, we just don’t belong together.”
“I love my children, he loves his son … we both have wonderful family and friends as support going thru (sic) this time.”
Reuters reported that Anderson and Rock were involved in a long, on-again, off-again relationship beginning in 2000. They broke up in 2003, reunited, wed and divorced in 2007.