JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court has ordered stand-up comedian Vova Tamarkin to pay NIS 10,000 ($3,000) to a woman in the audience whom he allegedly mocked over her weight during a comedy performance, according to a Channel 12 report.

Judge Tzipora Ohana-Kafash ruled that the comedian’s comments went beyond what could reasonably be considered part of a stand-up performance and constituted defamation.

The woman attended a Russian-language stand-up show in Bat Yam last year. According to her lawsuit, Tamarkin told her during the performance: “Soon a man will come on stage who weighs as much as you. He has been involved in boxing fights for eight years.”

She also claimed that he told her: “You remind me of my cat. You’re as fat as she is.”

Tamarkin, 22, denied making the statements in his defense. He argued that audiences attending stand-up comedy understand that the genre involves provocation, humor and jokes at the expense of audience members, and that such interactions are part of the experience. He also disputed the woman’s account, claiming that she had attributed statements made by other comedians at the same event to him.

The judge, however, found the woman’s testimony credible, while determining that Tamarkin’s testimony was not equally reliable. “Language used in stand-up performances is, to put it mildly, not clean, and participants who attend such performances should be aware of that,” the judge wrote. “However, humiliation that goes beyond the boundaries of that unclean language should be avoided.”

She specifically ruled that the comments concerning the woman’s weight, including the references to a “fat cat” and a boxer, crossed the line of what could reasonably be expected in a comedy performance.

The court nevertheless rejected the woman’s full compensation demand of NIS 50,000. In determining the amount, the judge took into account the fact that the woman had deliberately chosen to sit in the front row, making it more likely that the comedian would interact with her during the show. Tamarkin was ordered to pay NIS 10,000 in total, including NIS 4,000 toward the woman’s legal expenses.

Following the ruling, Tamarkin told N12 that his intention as a comedian was solely to entertain his audience. “When I do stand-up, my only goal is to make the audience happy with quality comedy,” he said. “I never go on stage with the intention of hurting anyone.”

Tamarkin also said he was saddened by the public reaction to the case and maintained that the ruling was unjust. “The plaintiff attributed things to me that I did not say,” he said. “Not to mention that even if I had been the one who said those words, under the law this should not have resulted in legal liability.”

Despite his criticism of the ruling, Tamarkin said the controversy had unexpectedly benefited his career. “Although the court’s decision left a bad taste from this whole story, for my career as a stand-up comedian it gave me a serious boost, and that is obviously something I can’t help but be happy about,” he said.