Sacha Baron Cohen has confirmed rumours that Pamela Anderson’s involvement in his hit 2006 comedy, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, led directly to her divorce from the rapper Kid Rock.

Speaking on the Last Laugh podcast, Baron Cohen recalled needing to twice shoot a scene in which his character kidnaps long-time crush Anderson at a meet and greet, with the intention of marrying her later that day.

The first time they shot it, at a book signing, Baron Cohen “grabbed her over my shoulder and ran out with her and no one did anything,” he said. “I was like, what kind of fans are these?”

The second time, Borat stuffs Anderson – who was in on the joke – into a “Kazakh marriage sack” before making off with her, resulting in a kerfuffle in which Anderson “lost a tiny bit of bone from her jaw”.

When the film was released in November 2006, Anderson had been married to Rock for three months – but their divorce a few weeks later led many to wonder if the movie had played a part in the break-up.

At the time, it was reported that a friend of Anderson’s said Rock was unhappy with the film, and after the credits rolled “started screaming at Pam, saying she had humiliated herself and telling her, ‘You’re nothing but a whore! You’re a slut! How could you do that movie?’”

Speaking on the Last Laugh, Baron Cohen said that he had texted Anderson to ask how the screening had gone and for Rock’s opinion. “She texted back that they were getting divorced,” he said.

“I thought it was a joke,” Baron Cohen added, “but then a few weeks later they got divorced and they put as a reason for divorce: Borat.” He went on to say Anderson and Rock made a “much better” couple than Anderson and Julian Assange.