Trump Campaign Calls Film Depicting His Early Rise ‘Malicious Defamation’

Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s communication director, told The Epoch Times that the team will file a lawsuit.

(L–R) Louis Tisné, Amy Baer, Gabriel Sherman, Maria Bakalova, Ali Abbasi, Sebastian Stan, and Martin Donovan attend the "The Apprentice" press conference at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, on May 21, 2024. Andre Pain-Pool/Getty Images

A film that depicts the rise of the future 45th president’s real estate business in the 1970s and ‘80s called “The Apprentice” has ignited rebuke and threats of litigation from the Trump 2024 presidential campaign.

The film, directed by Ali Abbasi, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20 and portrays the billionaire real estate magnate, played by the Romanian-born Marvel star Sebastian Stan, raping his now-deceased first wife, Ivana Trump, played by Maria Bakalova.