Donald Trump Is Not Holding Back On Sebastian Stan's The Apprentice
This article contains a discussion of sexual assault.
Former President of the United States and "Home Alone 2" actor Donald Trump isn't happy about how he's portrayed in the explosive new biopic "The Apprentice." The movie, which stars Sebastian Stan as Trump, takes a searing look at Trump's real-estate career in New York in the 1970s and 1980s, and though it's not exactly clear if Trump has seen the film, he does not like it.
The film officially released in the United States on Friday, October 11, and Trump quickly took to Truth Social, his social media platform, to put the movie on blast. (Any and all grammatical errors, errant capitalizations, and typos are the presidential candidate's own.)
"A FAKE and CLASSLESS Movie written about me, called, 'The Apprentice' (Do they even have the right to use that name without approval?), will hopefully 'bomb,'" the Republican candidate for president wrote. "It's a cheap, defamatory, and politically disgusting hatchet job, put out right before the 2024 Presidential Election, to try and hurt the Greatest Political Movement in the History of our Country, 'MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!'"
Trump then addressed some of the film's darker elements, including a scene that depicts him sexually assaulting his first wife, the late Ivana Trump (played by Maria Bakalova in the film). "My former wife, Ivana, was a kind and wonderful person, and I had a great relationship with her until the day she died," he continued. "The writer of this pile of garbage, Gabe Sherman, a lowlife and talentless hack, who has long been widely discredited, knew that, but chose to ignore it. So sad that HUMAN SCUM, like the people involved in this hopefully unsuccessful enterprise, are allowed to say and do whatever they want in order to hurt a Political Movement, which is far bigger than any of us. MAGA2024!"
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
The Apprentice had to avoid lawsuits from the former President to even get a theatrical release
Before "The Apprentice" could even score a wide release (it initially premiered at the Cannes Film Festival back in May), it faced lawsuits and controversy from Donald Trump's supporters and even the campaign itself — which is, it should be said, nothing if not litigious. The former owner of the Washington Commanders football team, Dan Snyder, helped finance the film, but since he supports Trump's third consecutive campaign for President, he was furious when he saw the finished product. This led to lawsuits over the content of the film, including one threatened by Trump's campaign spokesman Stephen Cheung, but ultimately, Snyder and the campaign lost out.
Snyder sold his financial stake in the film, paving the way for US production company Briarcliff Entertainment to distribute the movie without consequence (Cheung and the campaign only sent a cease-and-desist letter and apparently didn't pursue further legal action). The film also stars Emmy winner Jeremy Strong as Trump's mentor and lawyer Roy Cohn, Martin Donovan as Trump's father Fred Trump Sr., and Charlie Carrick as Trump's brother Fred Trump Jr.
"The Apprentice" is in theaters now.