Sacha Baron Cohen has reportedly been barred from the Oscars because of plans to come dressed as a Middle Eastern despot.
The actor had vowed to walk the red carpet before the ceremony as the protagonist from his new film, the Dictator.
But according to industry website Deadline, the Academy has vetoed the idea and promised to remove his ticket allocation, unless he changes his mind.
A spokesperson for the Academy denied that any decision had been taken yet. But they said: "We would hope that every studio knows that this is a bad idea. The Red Carpet is not about stunting."
