Sebastian Stan’s The Apprentice has been a hot topic of discussion since its announcement. It is based on the early career of former President Donald Trump as a New York-based real estate businessman. The film recently garnered a lot of attention after its premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
While the Sebastian Stan biopic was a critical hit at Cannes and even welcomed an 8-minute standing ovation, it has angered one of its key investors, Daniel Snyder.
The Apprentice, directed by Ali Abbasi, largely focuses on Donald Trump’s relationship with his first wife, Ivana Trump, and the New York City prosecutor Roy Cohn. The movie has allegedly portrayed the former President in a bad light, which left Dan Snyder fuming with anger.
What led Daniel Snyder to go against Sebastian Stan’s The Apprentice?
Daniel Snyder is one of the most controversial American businessmen and the former owner of the NFL team, Washington Commanders. As per Variety, he has been one of the primary donors in Donald Trump‘s presidential campaigns. In 2016, he donated a massive $1.1 million to his inaugural committee. He also donated another $100,000 during Trump’s 2020 campaign.
When The Apprentice was shown to Dan Snyder, the Billionaire was reportedly unhappy and enraged. According to sources, the Sebastian Stan biopic allegedly features a scene where Donald Trump s*xually assaults Ivana Trump.
It is to be noted that Ivana Trump accused the former POTUS of r*ping her during their much-publicized divorce in 1989. However, to everyone’s surprise, Trump’s late wife denied her claims in an interview with CNN in 2015. Before her unfortunate demise in 2022, Ivana Trump stated that the story lacked any “merit”.
The Apprentice has also reportedly shown Donald Trump to have undergone several cosmetic procedures. As Dan Snyder’s attempts to create a positive image of Trump through The Apprentice backfired badly, he has been subjected to immense trolling on X as well. Although the Kinematics president Emanuel Nuñez has directly stated that Snyder is not involved with the film, the 59-year-old billionaire has a financial stake in the company owned by his son-in-law (see New Republic).
Donald Trump’s team has also declared war against The Apprentice
Besides Dan Snyder, Donald Trump’s legal team is also trying hard to block the release of The Apprentice in the United States. As per a different report by Variety, they have sent a cease and detest letter to the makers in an attempt to stop its release.
Presently, the 78-year-old is busy with his campaign for the upcoming 2024 Presidential elections. Yahoo Entertainment reported that the letter sent by Trump’s team notes that the film defames the former President. The camp has threatened that they would take legal steps if the makers progress any further with The Apprentice.
It is a concoction of lies that repeatedly defames President Trump and constitutes direct foreign interference in America’s elections. If you do not immediately cease and desist all distribution and marketing of this libelous farce, we will be forced to pursue all appropriate legal remedies.
The communication director of Trump’s campaign, Steven Cheung has bashed the film saying that “it belongs in a dumpster fire”. Even after everything, the producers have stated that The Apprentice is a fair portrayal of the President. Director Ali Abbasi has also asserted that Trump would not dislike the film. Now only time will tell if The Apprentice can make it to the theaters.