After Michael Jackson’s death Thursday Universal Studios scrambled to remove a scene from the film “Bruno,” in which Sacha Baron Cohen’s Bruno questions La Toya Jackson about her brother, before the LA premiere of the film, Universal said in a press release.
Insiders told Entertainment Weekly they managed to cut the scene from the film just an hour before the premiere, which was Thursday night. The scene was previously seen by journalists during pre-screenings of “Bruno.”
The scene featured Bruno, a flamboyantly gay Austrian fashionista, snagging an interview with La Toya and asking her a series of questions about her brother, Michael. She did not appear to be in on the joke, EW reported.
Universal has not said whether the scene will be included in the film in either its theatrical or DVD releases.
Respectful, or marketable ploy?
Respectful, I think.
I don’t care much for Sacha Baron Cohen’s sense of humor, but they should at least put the scene in deleted scenes on the DVD. Since the premiere was Thursday just hours after MJ’s death, I think they did the right thing.