Donald Trump and Ivana: The Controversial Depiction of Alleged Assault in 'The Apprentice' Biopic

Cannes, France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France France
Allegations of sexual assault against Ivana Trump have caused controversy in the film.
Former US President Donald Trump and his campaign team have reacted strongly to the premiere of the biopic 'The Apprentice' at the Cannes Film Festival, with Trump vowing legal action against the filmmakers.
Ivana herself disavowed her earlier claims of rape in her divorce deposition.
The movie includes scenes depicting Trump undergoing liposuction and scalp procedures in the 1980s.
Donald Trump and Ivana: The Controversial Depiction of Alleged Assault in 'The Apprentice' Biopic

Former U.S. President Donald Trump and his campaign team have reacted strongly to the premiere of the biopic 'The Apprentice' at the Cannes Film Festival, with Trump vowing legal action against the filmmakers and calling it 'pure fiction'. The movie, which stars Sebastian Stan as a young Trump in the 1980s, includes scenes depicting Trump undergoing cosmetic procedures and allegations of sexual assault against his first wife Ivana. Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump's campaign, called the film 'garbage' and 'blatantly false', while Ivana herself disavowed her earlier claims of rape in her divorce deposition. The filmmakers, Ali Abbasi and Gabriel Sherman, have not yet responded to the threats of legal action. The controversy surrounding the movie has brought renewed attention to Trump's past business dealings and personal life, as well as his relationships with powerful figures like Roy Cohn.

The Apprentice is a biopic that follows Donald Trump's journey in the 1980s to establish himself as a real estate magnate. The film portrays him seeking mentorship from the wily lawyer Roy Cohn, who was known for his hard-ball tactics and investigations into suspected communists during the McCarthy era. The movie includes scenes depicting Trump undergoing liposuction and scalp procedures to address his love handles and baldness, respectively. However, it is the allegations of sexual assault against Ivana Trump that have caused the most controversy.

In one scene from the film, Ivana criticizes Trump's looks, leading him to sexually assault her in retaliation. These allegations were first made public during Ivana's divorce proceedings in 1990, but she later recanted them. However, they have resurfaced with the release of 'The Apprentice', and Trump's campaign has responded with threats of legal action against the filmmakers.

Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump's campaign, called the film 'pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked'. He went on to accuse the Hollywood elites of election interference and claimed that Trump would retake the White House in 2024. The filmmakers have not yet responded to these threats.

The controversy surrounding 'The Apprentice' has brought renewed attention to Trump's past business dealings and personal life, as well as his relationships with powerful figures like Roy Cohn. It remains to be seen how the legal action threatened by Trump's campaign will impact the release of the film.



Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • The accuracy of the allegations of sexual assault against Ivana Trump.
  • Whether or not the filmmakers have responded to Trump's threats of legal action.

Sources

74%

  • Unique Points
    • Trump campaign is preparing to file a lawsuit against the makers of 'The Apprentice' biopic.
    • Spokesperson for Trump called the film 'garbage' and 'pure fictionƔ.
    • Film centers on Trump's relationship with Roy Cohn and portrays Cohn as a mentor for Trump.
    • Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung made these statements to Fox News Digital.
    • Director Ali Abbasi offered to privately screen the movie for Trump if he was open to it.
  • Accuracy
    • The film includes salacious and disturbing scenes involving Trump, Ivana Trump and other real-life figures.
    • Former President Trump’s team believes the film is ‘pure malicious defamation.’
    • A scene in the film portrays Trump raping Ivana.
  • Deception (0%)
    The article contains editorializing and pontification by the author Timothy Nerozzi. He uses the words 'garbage', 'pure fiction', and 'malicious defamation' to describe the film 'The Apprentice' without providing any evidence or facts to support these claims. The author also quotes Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung making similar statements, further indicating editorializing and pontification.
    • This garbage is pure fiction
    • It belongs in a dumpster fire
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

80%

  • Unique Points
    • Donald J. Trump has threatened legal action against the biopic 'The Apprentice' about his life.
    • Ivana Trump accused her ex-husband of rape in her divorce deposition, but later disavowed the claim.
    • Trump’s team plans to file a lawsuit against the filmmakers for ‘blatantly false assertions’.
    • The movie includes scenes depicting Trump undergoing liposuction and a scalp procedure for baldness.
    • Ivana Trump is portrayed as criticizing Trump's looks in the film, leading to a scene where he sexually assaults her.
  • Accuracy
    • Trump campaign is preparing to file a lawsuit against the makers of 'The Apprentice'.
    • The film includes scenes depicting Trump undergoing liposuction and a scalp procedure for baldness.
  • Deception (50%)
    The author makes editorializing statements by calling the biopic 'garbage' and 'pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked'. He also uses emotional manipulation by implying that the filmmakers are 'pretend filmmakers'. The article also engages in selective reporting by only mentioning Trump's threat of legal action without providing any context or information about the allegations being made in the biopic.
    • Directed by Ali Abbasi and written by the author Gabriel Sherman, ‘The Apprentice’ follows Trump (Sebastian Stan) as an ambitious young man seeking to establish himself as a real estate magnate.
    • He’s the subject of the biopic ‘The Apprentice.’
    • The former president hit back at the movie, calling it ‘malicious defamation’ and threatening legal action.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority by quoting the spokesperson for the Trump campaign, Steven Cheung, who calls the biopic 'garbage' and 'malicious defamation'. This does not constitute a logical fallacy on its own as it is a statement made by someone else. However, it lowers the score because of potential inflammatory rhetoric.
    • “This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked.”
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

70%

  • Unique Points
    • Sebastian Stan portrays young Donald Trump in the movie 'The Apprentice.'
    • The film depicts Trump’s rise to power in the 1980s.
    • Allegations made in the movie include Trump undergoing liposuction for love handles and scalp reduction surgery for bald spot.
    • A scene in the film portrays Trump raping Ivana.
  • Accuracy
    • Sebastian Stan portrays young Donald Trump in the movie ‘The Apprentice.’
    • Testimony at Trump’s hush money trial concluded with controversy surrounding the release of ‘The Apprentice.’
  • Deception (0%)
    The article makes unsubstantiated claims about Trump's personal life without providing any evidence or linking to peer-reviewed studies. The claim that Trump raped Ivana is a lie by omission as it implies something that is not supported by the information provided in the article.
    • The most disturbing scene is where Trump is portrayed raping Ivana.
    • The movie claims Trump got liposuction on his love handles and scalp reduction surgery for his bald spot.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author makes an inflammatory statement by implying that the movie 'The Apprentice' portrays a disturbing scene of Trump raping Ivana. This is an appeal to emotion and can be considered inflammatory rhetoric.
    • The most disturbing scene is where Trump is portrayed raping Ivana.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

88%

  • Unique Points
    • Donald Trump's reelection campaign called 'The Apprentice', a film about him in the 1980s, 'pure fiction'.
    • Steven Cheung, Trump campaign spokesperson, vowed legal action against the filmmakers.
    • Ali Abbasi offered to privately screen the film for Trump.
    • The film contains a scene depicting Trump raping his wife, Ivana Trump.
  • Accuracy
    • Donald Trump's reelection campaign called 'The Apprentice' a film about him in the 1980s 'pure fiction'.
    • Director Ali Abbasi offered to privately screen the film for Trump.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (80%)
    The author makes an appeal to authority when quoting Abbasi's offer to screen the film for Trump and his statement about Trump potentially not disliking the film. This is a fallacy because it assumes that just because someone with authority or expertise in a certain area makes a statement, it is automatically true.
    • But director Ali Abbasi is offering to privately screen the film for Trump.
    • I don’t necessarily think that this is a movie he would dislike.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication