Borat billboard lawsuit dropped

Actor Sacha Baron Cohen has dropped his lawsuit against a Massachusetts cannabis dispensary that used an image of his character Borat on a billboard without his permission.

A document filed in Boston federal court Tuesday said the two sides have agreed to dismiss the case brought last year by the “Borat” star.

The legal filing did not mention any settlement in the case. Emails seeking comment were sent Wednesday to lawyers for Baron Cohen and the dispensary, Somerset-based Solar Therapeutics Inc.

The billboard showed Baron Cohen posing as Borat with two thumbs up and the words “It’s nice!” — one of Borat’s catchphrases. The billboard along a Massachusetts interstate highway was taken down three days after Baron Cohen’s attorneys sent a cease-and-desist order to the dispensary, according to the suit.

Ringling Bros. sends in the clowns

“The Greatest Show on Earth” is making a comeback featuring extraordinary humans and no animal acts five years after shutting down its threering circus, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey announced Wednesday.

Talent teams have already conducted auditions in Argentina, Mongolia, Ethiopia, France and the United States, with more than 1,000 performers applying to join a 50city North American tour starting in September 2023, and international dates to follow, according to the owner of the historic circus, Feld Entertainment.