All posts containing the tag: "richelle olson"
Posted Jul 10th 2009 9:30PM by TMZ Staff
The woman who sued Sacha Baron Cohen over a "Bruno" attack now says the actor never struck her, but beat her down emotionally to the point she's now confined to a wheelchair.
Richelle Olson has amended her lawsuit against Cohen, NBC Universal and others, claiming Cohen and his crew were "replete with deceit, fraud and misrepresentation" when they contacted the charity she ran, offering to send a "celebrity" to her charity bingo tournament for the elderly.
Olson claims the character Bruno showed up and began calling bingo numbers "using vulgar and offensive language over the loud speaker system." She says she asked him to stop but he didn't, and the film crew captured her "humiliating emotional reaction"
The suit claims Olson left the stage, went into a side room, began sobbing uncontrollably and lost consciousness, falling headfirst into a concrete slab. As a result, she's confined to a wheelchair and a walker.
She's suing for unspecified damages. And, we're told, the scene was cut from the movie. Welcome to Hollywood.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Movies
Tags: bruno, lawsuit, movie, nbc, richelle olson, RichelleOlson, sacha baron cohen, SachaBaronCohen
Posted Jun 5th 2009 2:30AM by TMZ Staff
The attorney for the woman who claims Sacha Baron Cohen assaulted her during the filming of "Bruno" says Cohen has radically changed her life -- for the worse.
Kyle Madison of the Madison Law Group calls the injuries Richelle Olson suffered "life-altering." Olson says in her lawsuit Cohen showed up at her charity bingo match for the elderly back in 2007 in his Bruno character, and began calling numbers in a vulgar, offensive way. The suit claims ... when Olson tried grabbing the mic away ... Cohen physically assaulted her. Olson says she suffered brain bleeds and sometimes requires assistance walking.
Madison tells TMZ, "The actions of Mr. Cohen and those acting in concert with him have resulted in life-altering injuries to my client. My focus is her well-being and to secure a fair, just and equitable remedy for her claims."
Madison says Olson's suit is different from the people who sued Cohen over the "Borat" movie. Those people suffered humiliation -- Olson's injuries are physical and severe. "This claim is distinguishable from Mr. Cohen's previous lawsuits as a defendant," Madison says.
To read Madison's full statement to TMZ, click here.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: bruno, lawsuit, Richelle Olson, RichelleOlson, sacha baron cohen, SachaBaronCohen
Posted Jun 4th 2009 4:53PM by TMZ Staff
This is the woman who is suing Sacha Baron Cohen over the alleged violent attack at the bingo parlor during the filming of "Bruno."
Her name is Richelle Olson. She's 39 years old and lives in Palmdale, CA. Olson claims Cohen came to her charity bingo match for the elderly in the character "Bruno" and began calling numbers in a vulgar and offensive way. Olson says when she tried grabbing the mic away from him, Cohen attacked her, as did several of his cameramen.
Olson says she fell to the ground, suffered brain bleeds and has been forced to use a wheelchair or a walker ever since.
Her friends tell us Olson has deteriorated since the incident. The pic was taken either before or shortly after the alleged attack.
It was first printed this morning by the Antelope Valley Press.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: lawsuit, richelle olson, RichelleOlson, sacha baron cohen, SachaBaronCohen
Posted Jun 4th 2009 6:40AM by TMZ Staff
The mother of Sacha Baron Cohen's alleged victim is a bona fide badass -- she was ballsy enough to pull a gun on two armed robbers in 2003 at the same bingo hall were the Cohen incident took place.
According to documents, on the morning of Jan. 11, 2003, two gunmen entered the United Desert Charities building to steal roughly $10,000 in B-I-N-G-O dough.
Five people were there at the time: One being Nora Kirkbride, mother of Richelle Olson -- the lady who's suing Sacha.
The docs say Nora "grabbed her gun and came out of her office" -- but wised up and relinquished her weapon when the robbers demanded it. E for effort, Nora.
The gunmen ended up making off with the cash -- but were later caught, convicted and jailed.
All the people at the UDC luckily escaped unscathed -- except, of course, for a few pair of soiled undergarments.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: Bingo, nora kirkbride, NoraKirkbride, Richelle Olson, RichelleOlson, sacha baron cohen, SachaBaronCohen
Posted Jun 3rd 2009 7:50PM by TMZ Staff
We've been checking all day on the story we broke about Sacha Baron Cohen being sued for allegedly attacking a woman at a bingo game -- and we've learned the woman who's suing is in really bad shape.
As we reported, Richelle Olson is suing Cohen, NBC Universal and others over an incident in 2007, when she was emceeing a charity bingo match for the elderly. Olson says she was told a celebrity would come to call numbers, and none other than Bruno appeared. She claims she tried grabbing the mic back after he was "vulgar and offensive," and he allegedly attacked her. Olson says she suffered brain bleeds and is confined to a wheelchair.
Now we're told that since the incident, people who play bingo with Olson say they have watched her deteriorate before their eyes. She's lost "drastic amounts of weight" and is extremely frail. In fact, we're told just last Saturday Olson fell during a bingo game, hit her head and bled. An ambulance came ... she eventually went to the ER where she was treated.
One bingo player says Olson looks like she has aged 20 years in the last year-and-a-half.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice
Tags: bingo, richelle olson, RichelleOlson, sacha baron cohen, SachaBaronCohen
