CBS show features character based on Milo Yiannopoulos accusing Ron DeSantis of sexual assault

The series finale of the Paramount+ and CBS show "The Good Fight" which aired on Thursday featured a character accusing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, by name, of sexual assault.

A clip is circulating social media that features actor John Cameron Mitchell as Felix Staples telling Christine Baranski's lawyer character, Diane Lockhart, that "I offered my political services to Governor DeSantis. He saw me in my bicycle shorts, worn purely for medical reasons. And he invited me on to his staff. Little did I know what he meant by staff."

Fox News reports that the twist of the episode is that the character later confesses to lying about the accusation in order to boost President Trump in the polls as he prepares for a 2024 presidential run that will likely pit him against DeSantis.

On Twitter, Washington Examiner contributor Harry Khachatrian wrote, "Is this kind of thing legal? I realize the whole free speech thing is pretty robust, but can you just insert a real public figure into your fictional movie and make him a sex offender?"

"The Good Fight" is a courtroom drama that ran for six seasons and was a spinoff of the show "The Good Wife." The series finale, titled, "The End of Everything" brought back the recurring character of Felix Staples, who the New York Post describes as "a flamboyant, gay provocateur."

As Bounding Into Comics points out, the character of Staples appears to be based on the political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos.

In the episode, Staples revealed that at the time of his alleged assault, he was interning for DeSantis. This mirrors Yiannopoulos’ time in government, at one point interning with Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Staples also states in the episode that he is "no longer gay," and "267 days sodomy free," echoing statements made by Yiannopoulos in a 2021 interview with LifeSite that after "conversion therapy," he was now "ex-gay" and "sodomy free."

The clip circulating social media has comments denouncing it both for the accusation and the twist.

"Paramount+ closed its series, 'The Good Fight' with a disgusting scene smearing Gov. Ron DeSantis," wrote the Media Research Center.

Noam Blum tweeted, "Stop sharing that DeSantis TV show clip thing. The whole point of the episode is that the guy is lying and DeSantis didn't do anything."

"This isn't what it sounds like. if you know the show, you know the 'accuser' is a reoccurring character best described as a ratf-cker. He’s lying here, and the lawyers bust him. Show doesn’t actually accuse DeSantis of assault. please do not ask me how i know any of this," wrote T. Becket Adams.

When Staples first makes the accusation he tosses out a "Florida is for lovers" apron with a semen stain on it as proof of the Governor's assault. He claims the assault happened at CPAC.

Later, when is accused of fabricating the story, he said, "You want this because you hate DeSantis, I want this because it puts Trump ahead in the polling. Win-win."