Rudy Giuliani tried to get the crew of Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm arrested for extortion, according to the film’s producer.
The former New York mayor appeared in the movie, following Maria Bakalova’s 15-year-old character into a hotel bedroom after a fake interview.
In the scene, Giuliani is seen with his hands down his trousers while lying on the bed. He said he was tucking in his shirt.
Speaking at the Producers Guild of America panel yesterday (March 20), producer Monica Levinson said Trump’s attorney had tried to get the crew arrested. “He claimed we were trying to extort him at the time, which we didn’t ask for anything,” she said. “He called all of his New York City cops and said extortion, which was a federal crime. Very smart to bring that up.”
Although they weren’t arrested, the crew was locked out of the suite they had been filming in by the hotel. However, they had already transferred the footage out of the room. “That’s always out first,” Levinson explained. “We would hide tapes in our pants. There’s always ways to make sure we got out the data.”
In the end, the crew left New York for New Jersey after taking advice from the movie’s legal team.
Bakalova is nominated for an Oscar for her role in Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm. Speaking about the scene with Giuliani last year, the 23-year-old actor said she was “kind of scared that something would happen”.
“Movies like this are showing people’s true colours,” she added. “It’s going to show Rudy’s real character. You’re responsible for your own decisions. So, no, I don’t feel bad.”
