Trump's lawyers try to halt the release of 'The Apprentice'
What's the story
Lawyers for former US President Donald Trump have issued a cease and desist letter to the producers of The Apprentice, a film chronicling Trump's rise to power in the 1980s. The legal action aims to block the US sale and distribution of the film, which recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Despite this, filmmakers are resolute in their pursuit of American distribution, asserting that "the film is a fair and balanced portrait of the former president."
Legal accusations
Trump's lawyers accused the film of spreading lies
The cease and desist letter from Trump's lawyers claims that the film "presents itself as a factual biography of Trump, yet nothing could be further from the truth." They accuse the film of being "a concoction of lies that repeatedly defames the former President and constitutes direct foreign interference in America's elections," due to its funding from Canada, Ireland, and elsewhere. In response to these allegations, the producers reiterated their stance: "We want everyone to see it and then decide."
Film details
Understanding why 'The Apprentice' has upset Trump
The Apprentice delves into Trump's early years under the influence of right-wing attorney Roy Cohn. The film features Sebastian Stan as a young Trump, Jeremy Strong as Cohn, Martin Donovan as Fred Trump Sr., and Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump (Trump's former wife). Among the contentious scenes is a depiction of Trump "violently throwing" Ivana and then proceeding to assault her sexually. Ivana—who died in 2022—had spoken about the assault in the years following the couple's divorce.
Controversial depiction
Other controversial scenes which angered Trump's representatives
Besides the controversial rape scene, the film also depicts scenes of Trump undergoing hair treatment for a bald spot. The 2024 presidential candidate is also shown taking "amphetamine pills" and undergoing liposuction. Despite Cohn elevating him from obscurity to mogul status, Trump remains disloyal to his mentor as he succumbs to AIDS. In one scene, the notorious germaphobe has his staff fumigate the house after Cohn's departure.
Cannes premiere
Filmmakers remain defiant amid legal threats
Following the screening of the film at Cannes, the Trump campaign declared, "We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers." To note, the movie—directed by Ali Abbasi—received an eight-minute standing ovation at its Cannes premiere. Abbasi has shrugged off previous threats at a Cannes press conference, stating, "Everybody talks about him suing a lot of people—they don't talk about his success rate though, you know?"