Trump biopic ‘The Apprentice’ with controversial scene on his first wife Ivana to release before election

'The Apprentice' debuted at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May but did not get a theatrical run
PUBLISHED SEP 1, 2024
Donald Trump's soon-to-release biopic depicts his relationship with his first wife Ivana (Getty Images)
Donald Trump's soon-to-release biopic depicts his relationship with his first wife Ivana (Getty Images)

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A biopic of Donald Trump which paints a less-than-flattering portrait of the former president is set to release in theatres across the United States ahead of the November general election, reported Raw Story on Saturday, August 31.

The film, titled 'The Apprentice' after the GOP nominee's television show, has Sebastian Stan playing the controversial businessman and deals with the early days of his career as a real estate mogul from New York. The film debuted at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May but did not get a theatrical run under threat of litigation from Trump's attorneys.

Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump and Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump in 'The Apprentice' (Apprentice Productions Ontario Inc. / Profile Productions 2 APS / Tailored Films Ltd. 2023)
Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump and Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump in 'The Apprentice' (Apprentice Productions Ontario Inc. / Profile Productions 2 APS / Tailored Films Ltd. 2023)

However, an insider source reportedly told NBC News that independent distributor Briarcliff Entertainment plans to release the movie on October 11.

Controversy surrounding Donald Trump's biopic 'The Apprentice'

The movie contains one particular scene which shows young Donald Trump assaulting his first wife Ivana, in 1990. The portrayal is drawn from the latter's claim that Trump had assaulted her, which she also mentioned in their divorce proceedings.

Trump had denied the allegation, and in 2015, Ivana went back on her words, saying that she did not mean them literally and that she felt violated in a more general way during their marriage.

MIAMI BEACH, FL - DECEMBER 01: Ivana Trump attends DuJour Magazine's Jason Binn Celebrates Annual Ar
Ivana Trump, first wife of former presdient Donald Trump, passed away in 2022 (Getty Images)

Ivana died in 2022 and was laid to rest on the private golf course of the former president in Bedminster, New Jersey. She is played in the film by Maria Bakalova.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung shredded the movie as "pure malicious defamation," adding, "We will be filing a lawsuit to address the blatantly false assertions from these pretend filmmakers. This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked.”

'The Apprentice' has been directed by Danish Iranian filmaker, Ali Abbasi.

Sebastian Stan seen as Donald Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn in ‘The Apprentice’ (IMDb)
Sebastian Stan seen as Donald Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn in ‘The Apprentice’ (IMDb)

Internet reacts as Donald Trump's biopic 'The Apprentice' gets pre-election release date

Netizens reacting to the news on the Raw Story website were eager for the movie to be released in theatres and blamed the Trump campaign for trying to suppress it. The following examples demonstrate the prevalent take.

"If it's all fake then why are you trying so hard to block it from being released? Another nail in his coffin," wrote a person.

"Looks like somebody has found a parking place inside of Trump’s head," stated another.

"The maga cultists can't handle the truth apparently. You can't hide the light of truth with a thumb," shared a third.

"Gee it would be a shame if this whole 'freedom of speech' thing came back and smacked him!" exclaimed a fourth.

"Violence against women has done nothing to reduce Trump's support with his base so far. I don't think this is going to do much damage in that echo chamber, either," noted a fifth.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

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