Showtime and Sacha Baron Cohen push back against Sarah Palin
By Associated Press
Jul 16, 2018 11:35 PM CDT
FILE - In this March 4, 2018 file photo, Sacha Baron Cohen arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif. Cohen stars in the new Showtime series "Who Is America?", premiering on Sunday, July 15. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)   (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — Showtime and Sacha Baron Cohen are pushing back against allegations the comedian duped guests on his new show by posing as a disabled veteran.

The network says in a statement Monday that Baron Cohen "did not present himself as a disabled veteran" or wear any military apparel when he met with Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Palin last week on Facebook complained that Baron Cohen "heavily disguised himself" as a disabled U.S. veteran in a wheelchair when she was "duped" into an interview. She challenged Baron Cohen and Showtime to donate proceeds from the show to a veterans' charity.

In the new show "Who Is America?," Baron Cohen dons various prosthetics and accents in an attempt to embarrass those on the right and left.