Apprentice Director Defends Trump Rape Scene — Ticks Through ‘Journalistic Evidence’ Supporting It

The Apprentice director Ali Abbasi, defended including a scene featuring former President Donald Trump raping his then-wife Ivana Trump, citing what he called “journalistic evidence” supporting the scene that the late Mrs. Trump later downplayed.

Abbasi was a guest on this week’s edition of Mediaite’s new Press Club podcast, hosted by Aidan McLaughlin, to discuss the polarizing film and the inside story that led it to the screen weeks before the election.

One controversial topic that McLaughlin covered is the film’s depiction of the rape, asking Abbasi if he worried about including it based on Ivana’s later recantation:

One of the most scandalous scenes in the movie is a scene that is based on Ivana Trump’s claim that Donald Trump raped her. Did you have concerns about putting that in? Because she later recanted that claim.

So the journalistic evidence around that is that it’s based on a deposition under oath in court, which she later reiterated in her memoir in detail, even going much further than what we show in the movie, saying that he pulled her hair out and all these things. And then at the end of that, there is a disclaimer which says, well, I know I said he raped me, but I didn’t mean rape in the literal criminal sense. Now, that sounds to me that someone’s lawyers came and really pushed you.

Also, because Mr. Trump was convicted of sexual assault in civil court. And he talked about grabbing by the pussy. And last week he was talking about, I can go backstage and kiss whoever I want. So this is not a personality trait that comes out of thin air. And I don’t think this is a movie about sexual assault. As much as I don’t mind talking about it, I don’t think this is the climax of the movie.

The point of the movie is not that he’s a rapist. The point of the movie is that he also raped his wife as he had the friendship with Roy Cohn, as he had some savvy investments in New York in the 70s and 80s. It’s the same guy. There’s a complexity there.

Watch above via Mediaite’s new Press Club podcast. Watch the full episode here.

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