Sacha Baron Cohen's return as Ali G has sparked outrage after the comedian made a crude joke about Sydney Sweeney at the premiere of his new film. The 55-year-old actor has revived his controversial comedy character for Ali G: Who Iz I?, but not everyone is thrilled to see the self-proclaimed Staines massive back in action.
Appearing in character on the red carpet, Baron Cohen was asked for his thoughts on the proposed merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Rather than offering insights into the future of Hollywood, Ali G had another kind of merger on his mind. 'The only merger that's happening tonight is me and Sydney Sweeney's babylons,' he declared, using the character's slang for breasts.
Social media backlash
The remark quickly attracted criticism on social media, with some viewers accusing the comedian of misogyny and questioning whether his brand of humour still has a place in 2026. 'Misogyny isnt a punchline.. Gross,' one person wrote on X. Another asked: 'how did we find him funny?' A third added: 'racist and misogynist in the same breath? yeah that tracks'.
Others suggested the problem went beyond the joke itself, arguing that Baron Cohen's once-groundbreaking character has failed to evolve with the times. 'I think the thing is… Conceptually the idea of a cosplaying cultural idiot is still applicable to today's age but he's done NOTHING to update it to today's references,' one critic argued. 'Makes it really stale. You can say that's part of the joke but I think it's a lazy defence.'
Character's controversial history
Baron Cohen first introduced audiences to Ali G in the late 1990s, with the character becoming a household name through Da Ali G Show and the 2002 film Ali G Indahouse. The fictional wannabe gangster, who appropriates elements of Black British culture while remaining spectacularly ignorant about almost everything, became famous for conducting absurd interviews with politicians and celebrities.
But more than two decades later, the character's return has reignited debate about whether the joke still works, particularly when it comes to racial stereotypes and attitudes towards women. The backlash comes amid an already controversial rollout for Ali G: Who Iz I?, which sees Baron Cohen reprise the role alongside Morgana Robinson.
Boycott campaign and film release
The film follows Ali G as he discovers that Julie is pregnant, prompting him to attempt a comeback while preparing for fatherhood. However, the project has faced calls for a boycott even before its release. Media monitoring platform NewsCord has organised a campaign urging cinemas not to screen the film, claiming to have sent nearly 56,000 emails to venues.
Baron Cohen, meanwhile, appears to be leaning into the controversy. A recently released trailer features the return of another of his most famous creations, Borat Sagdiyev, who issues a tongue-in-cheek warning about the new film. The fictional Kazakh journalist announces that he has watched Ali G: Who Iz I? and is disappointed to discover that it is not racist. He subsequently declares that the film will not be shown in either of Kazakhstan's two cinemas and encourages audiences to join the boycott.
The film, distributed by Amazon MGM Studios, is scheduled to arrive in UK cinemas on Friday, October 23, for a limited run lasting just one weekend. It is expected to become available on Prime Video afterwards, although a streaming release date has yet to be confirmed. For Baron Cohen, whose comedy career has been built on provoking uncomfortable reactions and testing the boundaries of good taste, controversy is hardly unfamiliar territory. But judging by the response to his latest red-carpet appearance, some viewers are beginning to wonder whether Ali G's biggest problem is that the world has moved on without him.
