Showtime Responds to Misinformation About Sacha Baron Cohen's 'Who is America?' Series

Showtime is speaking out in response to misinformation that is in the media about a character Sacha Baron Cohen is playing on his new series Who Is America?

The character Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr., Ph.D. has been referred to as a disabled veteran in some reports and Sarah Palin credits this information as why she granted an interview for the show.

“There has been widespread misinformation over the past week about the character of Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr., Ph.D., performed by Sacha Baron Cohen on the Showtime comedy series Who Is America?” the network said in the statement.

“Baron Cohen did not present himself as a disabled veteran, and viewers nationwide who watched the premiere on Sunday can now attest to that. In Sunday’s episode, during an interview with Senator Bernie Sanders, Baron Cohen in character as Dr. Ruddick was asked by the Senator if he is disabled, and he stated that he is not and uses a mobility scooter to conserve his energy,” the statement continued.

“In addition, Baron Cohen never presented himself as a veteran of the U.S. military to former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin during the booking process or during the filming of her interview, and contrary to her claims he did not appear in a wheelchair. In both the interview with Governor Palin and the interview with Senator Sanders, he did not wear military apparel of any kind,” the network concluded.