A crowdfunding campaign has been set up for a babysitter who says she feels “betrayed” by her appearance in Borat 2.
Jeanise Jones, 62, features in a number of scenes in Sacha Baron-Cohen’s comedy sequel, as she is recruited to babysit Tutar (Maria Bakalova), the 15-year-old daughter of Borat (Baron-Cohen).
But despite Jones and Tutar striking up a bond in the film, the professional babysitter this week claimed that she did not know who Baron Cohen was when she was asked to participate in the film and felt “betrayed” as she believed it was a documentary about women’s rights.
She also said that she believed Tutar was a real person who may have been sold into the sex trade, telling Page Six: “I’m feeling like she’s from the Third World and that kind of stuff does happen where they sell women.”
With Jones being paid $3,600 (£2,600) to participate in the film, a GoFundMe was set up by her pastor Derrick Scobey – who originally put Jones in touch with the Borat 2 production team – on Tuesday (26 October).
It aims to raise $100,000 (£76,000) to properly compensate her for work in the film, as it states that she is currently unemployed due to coronavirus. At the time of writing, the donation total is at $44,335 (£33,962).
Explaining that Jones had been recruited after producers said they were looking for a “black grandmother” to star in the “documentary”, Scobey wrote: “Jeanise emerged as that person and she was completely unaware that this was a comedy, and all of this was made up. We have been praying for the young lady in the movie because we all genuinely thought she was in trouble. The joke is on us/Jeanise and that’s no problem.”
He continued: “This was not scripted for Jeanise. It all came from the heart. She is one of the most authentic people I’ve ever met.
“One good thing that has come from this is that Jeanise doesn’t have to worry about ‘Tutar’ anymore. She has WORRIED about this young lady for a year.”
Jones said that she only discovered the truth about Borat 2 when she was shown a trailer for the film in early October, and that she and many within her church were genuinely concerned for Tutar’s welfare when they believed she was a real person.
Find out what Baron Cohen’s prank victims have said about being tricked in the new film here.
