Former President Trump’s team is preparing to file a lawsuit against the makers of a biopic about his career in the 1980s, titled “The Apprentice.” The film, set to be released in 2024, stars Sebastian Stan and is directed by Ali Abbasi. A spokesperson for Trump called the film “garbage” and “pure fiction,” and they plan to take legal action to address what they view as blatantly false assertions made by the filmmakers. The film allegedly sensationalizes lies that have long been debunked.
The content of the movie centers on Trump’s relationship with Roy Cohn, a McCarthy-era government lawyer who led investigations into suspected communists. It portrays Cohn as a mentor to Trump in the tough world of New York City business and politics. The film includes salacious and disturbing scenes involving Trump, Ivana Trump, and other real-life figures. The Trump campaign communications director, Steven Cheung, criticized the film for its portrayals, calling it “malicious defamation” that should never see the light of day.
The Trump team claims that the film is an example of election interference by Hollywood elites who are attempting to discredit Trump as he plans to reclaim the White House and run for president again. Cheung compared the film to the ongoing legal battles involving Donald Trump and suggested that this was another attempt to thwart his political ambitions. The filmmakers, however, maintain that they are simply telling a story based on historical events and are willing to discuss their intentions with Trump directly.
Ali Abbasi, the director of “The Apprentice,” stated that he would be willing to privately screen the movie for Trump and engage in a discussion about its context. Abbasi suggested that meeting with Trump to explain the film’s narrative and intentions could be beneficial for both parties. Despite Trump’s team’s insistence that the film is fictional and defamatory, Abbasi is open to addressing any concerns directly with Trump himself. The filmmakers believe that they are telling an important story that sheds light on Trump’s past with Roy Cohn and his rise in the world of business and politics.
The controversy surrounding “The Apprentice” has generated significant attention, with Trump’s team and the filmmakers engaged in a war of words over the content and portrayal of the biopic. The filmmakers are standing by their film, stating that it is based on real events and historical figures, while Trump’s team insists that it is fictional and defamatory. The legal battle between the two parties is likely to continue as they fight over the rights to tell the story of Donald Trump’s past and its implications for his future in politics.
