(CNN) Showtime says comedian Sacha Baron Cohen did not claim to be a disabled veteran to secure any interview subjects for his series "Who Is America," despite claims from former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to the contrary.

"There has been widespread misinformation over the past week about the character of Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr., Ph.D., performed by Sacha Baron Cohen on the Showtime comedy series 'Who Is America?' Baron Cohen did not present himself as a disabled veteran, and viewers nationwide who watched the premiere on Sunday can now attest to that," the statement issued Monday said.

Showtime also points out that Cohen's character "did not wear military apparel of any kind" in his interviews with Senator Bernie Sanders and Palin and even specifies at one point in the show that he is not disabled.

In the first episode, Ruddick, as portrayed by Cohen, says he uses a mobility scooter to "conserve" his body's "finite energy."

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