Trump lawyers seek to block US release of biopic The Apprentice | Donald Trump

Donald Trump’s lawyers have sent a cease and desist letter to the producers of The Apprentice in a bid to block its sale and release in the United States after the film – which shows the former US president raping his first wife – shocked the audience during its world premiere. at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Trump campaign announced earlier this week that it would take legal action against Ali Abbasi’s film, with spokesperson Stephen Cheung pledging to “respond to these fake filmmakers’ blatantly false claims.”

“This bullshit is pure fiction that sensationalizes lies that have long been debunked,” Cheung told Variety on Monday. “This ‘movie’ is pure malicious slander, should not see the light of day, and does not even deserve a place in the direct-to-DVD movie section of a bargain bin at a soon-to-be-closed discount movie store. .It belongs to a dumpster fire.

Billionaire former owner of the NFL’s Washington Commanders and Trump supporter Dan Snyder is also reportedly preparing his own cease-and-desist letter to block a U.S. distribution deal. Snyder, who invested in The Apprentice thinking it would paint a positive portrait of Trump, was reportedly “furious” after viewing a rough cut of the film, Variety reported.

In response to the cease-and-desist letter, the producers behind the film said it was a “fair and balanced portrait of the former president,” according to a statement reported by several media outlets . “We want everyone to see it and then decide.”

At a Monday Cannes Film Festival screening of Abbasi’s film, which stars Sebastian Stan as Trump and opens with a warning that the events depicted are fictional, viewers were reportedly stunned by scenes including Trump undergoing liposuction, scalp reduction surgery and – most controversially – a scene in which he pushes his first wife, Ivana, to the ground and rapes her.

The film’s rape scene is a fictionalized account of an alleged 1989 attack that was previously detailed in the couple’s 1990 divorce proceedings. In her deposition, Ivana Trump described an assault that she said occurred produced shortly after her husband’s scalp reduction surgery.

Ivana initially described what followed as rape, but she later walked back her allegations.

The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment on the letter. Speaking to the press recently, Abbasi appeared unconcerned by the threat of legal action. “Donald’s team should watch the film before they start coming after us,” he said. “Everyone is always talking about his lawsuit against a lot of people. But they don’t talk about its success rate.