Member Of Donald Trump Biopic 'The Apprentice' Team Accused Of Sexual Misconduct
A team member of the Oscar- and Golden Globe-nominated biopic "The Apprentice" has severed ties with his U.S. representatives at CAA and Entertainment 360.
The split reportedly stems from an incident at CAA's Golden Globes afterparty, where allegations of groping an A-list actor represented by the agency surfaced.
Ali Abbasi, the director, was inebriated at the afterparty when he allegedly engaged in aggressive and inappropriate behavior toward a high-profile actor, as reported byDeadline,
In the aftermath, CAA confronted the filmmaker, demanding that he apologize to the actor involved. However, sources close to Abbasi claim he was explicitly advised by the agency not to contact the actor directly to issue an apology, creating confusion over how the situation was handled.
While it remains unclear who initiated the separation, it was confirmed that Abbasi officially parted ways with CAA and Entertainment 360 on January 27. The filmmaker is now repped by LARK in the UK.
In addition to splitting from his U.S. reps, Abbasi is no longer working with PR firm The Lede Company.
However, sources indicate that his contract simply expired after "The Apprentice" was released. The film, which received critical acclaim, secured Oscar nominations for Sebastian Stan, who portrayed a young Donald Trump, and Jeremy Strong, who played Trump's infamous mentor, Roy Cohn.
Abbasi has also parted ways with the law firm Granderson Des Rochers, though sources insist that move is unrelated to the Golden Globes incident. The firm has yet to comment.
While Abbasi has not directly addressed the groping allegation, he did provide a statement to Deadline regarding his decision to move on from his U.S. representatives.
'I can confirm that I've made the decision to move in a new direction with my career,' Abbasi said. 'I'm grateful for the work CAA and Entertainment 360 have done, particularly their commitment to 'The Apprentice,' which remains a project I'm incredibly proud of. I look forward to announcing my next steps at the appropriate time.'
With "The Apprentice" gaining awards-season recognition, the fallout from this controversy could cast a shadow over Abbasi's future projects. Whether he will publicly address the allegations remains to be seen.
Since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, "The Apprentice" has been met with a polarizing response, drawing both critical acclaim and intense scrutiny.
One of the most talked-about moments in the film is based on Ivana Trump's 1990 divorce deposition, in which she described a deeply distressing encounter with her then-husband.
As reported by The Guardian, Ivana stated, 'On one occasion during 1989, Mr. Trump and I had marital relations in which he behaved very differently towards me than he had during our marriage. As a woman, I felt violated … I referred to this as a rape, but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense.'
Sebastian Stan has tackled a wide range of roles throughout his career, but he recently admitted that playing Donald Trump in "The Apprentice" was his most difficult challenge to date.
Speaking at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, where he accepted the trophy for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical or Comedy Film for his role in "A Different Man," Stan was asked which role had been the toughest for him to take on.
Without hesitation, he pointed to his portrayal of Trump.
'Without a doubt, the man in orange, right? Donald Trump, definitely the hardest,' Stan quipped, according to People, offering a wry smile. While acknowledging the complexities of his Golden Globe-winning performance in "A Different Man," he made it clear that embodying the former U.S. president in "The Apprentice" was a uniquely challenging experience.
'And that is not to diminish why I'm up here right now talking to you. I think this in itself is really difficult,' Stan said. 'There was a big risk in terms of what it speaks to and trying to walk into somebody else's shoes who has more -osis, like Adam Pearson. So that had its own challenges as well, and I wanted to do that right.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
10 hours ago
Hailee Steinfeld reflects on 'unforgettable' wedding to Josh Allen
Hailee Steinfeld says her wedding to Josh Allen was "unforgettable" and "magical." The " Sinners" star opened up about her black-tie wedding last month to the Buffalo Bills quarterback in her Beau Society newsletter on Friday, including photos from the stunning event. "Over the past two weeks, random yet very specific memories have been popping back into our heads, and we've been blurting them out to each other, often through smiles, laughs, and tears," she wrote. "It felt like love was running through the veins of every tree at our gorgeous venue in Santa Barbara," she continued. "Our family and friends coming together amplified it." The Oscar nominee said that the night before the wedding, the couple had a dinner with their immediate families. They also had a welcome party the next day for their guests. On the morning of their wedding, Steinfeld said she and Allen had an early breakfast, writing, "I don't think I could've gone the whole day without seeing him!" When it came to the actual ceremony, Steinfeld said her dad walked her down the aisle. She wore a custom dress designed by Tamara Ralph, for which she had a fitting in Paris after the London premiere of "Sinners." She said that when she saw Allen at the end of the aisle, he "looked like the man of every dream I've ever had." "I just remember the walkup looked like a façade," she wrote. "Josh standing under this huge structure; it was the most surreal thing I'd ever seen." Following their reception, the duo hosted an underground afterparty that ended at 3 a.m. and included a DJ, cigar bar and more, she said. Steinfeld said she and Allen embarked on their honeymoon the next day. "Now we're back and it's been a whole 13 days of being married, and we'll be staying on this high forever!" she wrote. The pair first made their relationship Instagram official in July 2024. They later confirmed their engagement on Nov. 29, 2024, also with an .
Tom's Guide
10 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
7 best Scarlett Johansson movies to stream right now
Scarlett Johansson has been appearing in movies since she was 10 years old, and it sometimes seems like she has never not been a star. She's the rare performer who made a smooth, quick transition from child actor to adult actor, and she's remained prolific and acclaimed for the past 30-plus years. Those three decades have included two Oscar nominations (for 'Marriage Story' and 'Jojo Rabbit'), performances across multiple genres, and an ongoing presence as superhero Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In just a few months in 2025, she's appeared in Wes Anderson's typically offbeat 'The Phoenician Scheme,' hosted 'Saturday Night Live' (where she got to work with her husband, Colin Jost) and prepared to carry yet another blockbuster franchise as the star of 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' opening in theaters July 2. Here are my picks for the best of Johansson's many excellent film performances. After several years as a child actor, Johansson had her breakthrough role in this satisfyingly cynical adaptation of the graphic novel by Daniel Clowes. Thora Birch stars as acerbic teenager Enid, with Johansson as her more sensible best friend Rebecca. Although they begin the movie as partners in snark, hurling insults at classmates during their high school graduation, their paths diverge as Rebecca gets a job and sets out on a path to mainstream adulthood. While Enid strikes up a disingenuous friendship with an oddball older record collector named Seymour (Steve Buscemi) and continues to reject societal expectations, Rebecca sees a life beyond Enid's empty nihilism. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Johansson's deadpan delivery gives Rebecca the right sense of ironic detachment, while also offering glimpses into the maturity that begins to set her apart from the entitled, condescending Enid. Watch on Prime Video Johansson received her first Golden Globe nomination for her adult debut, playing the disaffected wife of a rock photographer spending an aimless week in Tokyo. Johansson's Charlotte has a chance meeting with movie star Bob Harris (Bill Murray), a fellow American staying in her hotel, who's in town to shoot a commercial for a Japanese whisky company. The two of them form an unlikely bond as they wander the city, feeling disconnected from their surroundings and questioning their life choices. Johansson and Murray have sweet, understated chemistry that is almost entirely platonic, and writer-director Sofia Coppola captures the sense of isolation that can come from an unfamiliar environment. Like the movie, Johansson's performance is a mix of bitter melancholy and wry humor, hinting at deeper longings often left unsaid. Rent/buy at Apple or Amazon The third of Johansson's three collaborations with writer-director Woody Allen is the strongest, both as a film and as a showcase for her talents. Johansson and Rebecca Hall star as best friends spending a summer in Barcelona. Hall's Vicky is a pragmatic grad student set to marry a dull businessman (Chris Messina), while Johansson's Cristina is a more free-spirited seeker who fancies herself some kind of artist. They're both drawn to passionate Spanish painter Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), although it's Cristina who ends up in a relationship with him — as well as with his volatile ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz). 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' is one of Allen's most sensual films, in both its intimate relationships and its depiction of Spain, and Johansson fits in perfectly as a woman who never quite knows what she wants, but isn't afraid of going after it anyway. Watch on Peacock Director Jonathan Glazer pares down the source novel for this eerie sci-fi movie to its bare minimum, and Johansson does the same in her performance, playing an alien who assumes human form to seduce and consume unsuspecting men. At least that's what appears to be going on, although Glazer's minimalist approach invites the audience to fill in numerous narrative gaps. The unanswered questions only make 'Under the Skin' more unsettling, as Johansson's unnamed character travels across Scotland, chatting up men and bringing them back to a blank void, where they're trapped and devoured by an unknown force. Johansson uses her movie-star image as a sort of costume, allowing this creature to lay on the charm just as easily as she turns cold and detached — at least until her burgeoning connection with humanity becomes too much to bear. Rent/buy at Apple or Amazon It's sort of astounding that Johansson never actually appears onscreen in Spike Jonze's prescient sci-fi movie about a lonely man falling in love with an AI operating system. Johansson wasn't even originally cast in the movie, and was only brought in during post-production to replace the original actress as the voice of Samantha, the AI assistant who makes a romantic connection with depressed writer Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix). Johansson's performance is so key to the movie's success that it's hard to imagine it without her. She makes Samantha sound alluring and relatable as Theodore gets to know her, and later conveys the AI's expanding consciousness as Samantha rebels against the constraints of a single human connection. 'Her' has only become more relevant in the current age of AI, and it provides a bittersweet counterpoint to common dystopian perspectives. Watch on Prime Video One of the best things about Noah Baumbach's equally harrowing and humane drama about a couple's acrimonious divorce is that it's easy to argue that either party is in the right. That's thanks to Baumbach's deft writing and direction, as well as the brilliant lead performances from Johansson and Adam Driver. Baumbach takes the time to let viewers understand why these people were in love and seemed ideally matched before he shows their relationship falling apart. The villain here isn't the husband or the wife, but the grueling divorce industry that turns an initially amicable split into a ferocious battle, culminating in a devastating central fight between the estranged spouses. Johansson and Driver are just as genuinely moving in that moment of intense anger as they are in the lighthearted scenes, portraying the full spectrum of emotion in such a life-changing process. Watch on Netflix Johansson appeared as former Russian spy Natasha Romanoff in nine Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, but this is the only one that places her front and center, and it came after her character had already been killed off. That makes it somewhat underappreciated in the MCU, but Johansson demonstrates why Natasha became so popular with superhero fans, who advocated for years for her to get her own movie. Set before and during the events of previous MCU movies, 'Black Widow' introduces Natasha's dysfunctional adopted family of fellow covert agents, played by David Harbour, Rachel Weisz and Florence Pugh. Their fractured dynamic is the best part of the movie, which delves into Natasha's brutal upbringing in the sadistic training facility known as the Red Room, and finally gives her a chance to take her revenge. Watch on Disney Plus
Tom's Guide
15 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
5 classic summer blockbusters just landed on streaming — and they'll make you feel like a kid again
They just don't make summers like they used to. Growing up, these months meant no homework, riding bikes until the streetlights came on, and listening out for the tune of the ice cream man. Nowadays, your summers likely aren't so carefree, but you can still get a blast from the past with these quintessential nostalgic summer blockbusters that just landed on streaming. Some of the biggest summer movie hits from the '70s, '80s, and '90s can be found across the best streaming services, and some are even streaming for free (if you don't mind a few pesky ads). There's never been a better time to indulge your inner child by revisiting the same films that captivated you on those rainy days or summer nights that feel like yesterday. So grab some popcorn, curl up in the AC, and stream these five classic summer blockbusters that'll transport you back to a simpler time. A list like this isn't complete without the OG summer blockbuster, "Jaws." Steven Spielberg's nerve-shredding thriller struck a nerve in our collective consciousness, sparking a tidal wave of sequels, imitators, and an enduring fear of the ocean that still haunts beachgoers today. Adapted from Peter Benchley's best-selling novel, "Jaws" follows police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) as he hunts down the great white shark responsible for a string of deadly attacks off Amity Island's shores. Driving the suspense is John Williams' legendary, Oscar-winning score—an ominous two-note motif that has become one of the most iconic pieces of music in film history. Watch it now on Tubi Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The '80s and goofy sci-fi movies go together like Stay-Puft marshmallows and s'mores. While recent sequels like "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" and "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" haven't exactly been blockbuster hits, there's no question that the original 1984 "Ghostbusters" remains a true classic. Whether they're battling the paranormal or just trading wisecracks, comedy icons Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis are endlessly entertaining. Their effortless chemistry is what truly makes "Ghostbusters" so rewatchable; everything else, including the looming apocalypse, is just icing on the ectoplasmic cake. Joined by Ernie Hudson, the crew plays a team of ghost hunters that take on a growing supernatural crisis in New York City, though the specters they face are more hilarious than horrifying. Watch it now on Peacock Let's be honest, "Jurassic Park" doesn't need much of an introduction. When it roared into theaters in 1993, it became the highest-grossing film of all time. Now with half a dozen sequels under its belt, the franchise has earned a reputation as towering and unforgettable as the T-Rex on its iconic poster. Steven Spielberg's sci-fi adventure follows eccentric billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) as he unveils a one-of-a-kind theme park that's home to living, breathing dinosaurs cloned from ancient DNA preserved in amber. A small group that includes Alan Grant (Sam Neil), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) is given a tour before it's open to the public, but a bit of corporate sabotage turns their dream expedition into a prehistoric nightmare when the dinos get loose. Watch it now on Peacock Seeing Jim Carrey being his usual wacky and hilarious self in "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" sent me on a binge of his greatest hits, and you know "The Mask" topped that list. Carrey stars as Stanley Ipkiss, a timid bank clerk whose life takes a wild turn when he discovers an ancient mask that turns the wearer into a manic, near-invincible trickster. With the help of his newfound alter ego, he sets out to impress a nightclub singer (Cameron Diaz) only to get tangled up in a local crime syndicate. It's another one of Carrey's roles that feels tailor-made for him. His expressive face, kinetic energy, and rapid-fire delivery turn the character into a living cartoon, making "The Mask" feel like pure animated chaos in live action. "The Mask" not only solidified Carrey's place as a 1990s comedy icon but also launched Diaz's Hollywood career. To this day, it remains a fan favorite from the period for its slapstick humor and groundbreaking visual effects. Watch it now on Hulu Another titan of '90s comedy, Will Smith, stars in my favorite entry on this list, "Independence Day." When Earth lands in the crosshairs of a massive alien invasion that threatens to wipe out humanity, a ragtag group of heroes — including fearless fighter pilot Captain Steven Hiller (Smith), brilliant computer whiz David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum), and the determined U.S. President Thomas Whitmore (Bill Pullman)—come together to launch a desperate counterstrike. It all builds to a high-stakes showdown on July 4th, turning America's Independence Day into a global fight for survival. Packed with explosive action, groundbreaking special effects, and one of the most iconic presidential speeches in movie history, "Independence Day" remains a crowd-pleasing spectacle that helped define '90s blockbuster cinema. Watch it now on Tubi
