A new biopic on former US President Donald Trump has premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The film, The Apprentice, which competes for the Palme d’Or award, will include a scene where Trump who is played by Sebastian Stan, allegedly rapes his first wife, Ivana.
Directed by Iranian-Danish film-maker Ali Abbasi, the film will provide a fictionalised account of this alleged incident from 1989.
The scene itself takes place towards the end of the film, showing Trump reacting angrily after Ivana mocks his appearance, saying he has a face like a “f****** orange”, before adding: “You’re getting fat, you’re getting ugly, and you’re getting bald”.
Later in the scene, a fictional Trump is shown forcing himself on her, before proceeding to rape her. He then asks her: “Did I found your G-spot?”.
“Admit nothing, deny everything”
The Apprentice will see Ivana Trump portrayed by Maria Bakalova, with Succession Jeremy Strong playing the part of charismatic lawyer Roy Cohn, who is shown teaching a young Donald Trump in the dark arts of American business.
One key piece of advice passed down to Trump by Mr Cohn was allegedly, “Admit nothing, deny everything”.
While it has been backed for production in Canada, Denmark and Ireland, The Apprentice is facing a legal battling to land a deal to be distributed in the US, having reportedly set to be facing a legal challenge from lawyers connected to billionaire Trump donor Dan Snyder.
According to reports, Snyder had invested in the film, thinking that it would show Trump in a positive light. But he is now said to be appalled by the film after watching a snipped of it.
This alleged rape was mentioned in Donald and Ivana Trump’s divorce proceedings.
These proceedings also see Ivana claim that she was assaulted by her former spouse, not long after his scalp-reduction surgery.
Ivana claimed that she was pushed to the floor by her ex husband, who pulled out handfuls of her hair. Years later, Ivana withdrew her claims, saying that it was not rape.
“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”, Ivana Trump said in a statement in 1993.
Donald Trump had always denied the initial allegations. He called them “obviously false”.
Allegations Against Trump
However since the 1970s, Donald Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct by at least 25 women.
Last year, the former president was even found liable for alleged sexual abuse against writer E Jean Carroll in the mid 1990s. He was ordered to pay $83.3 million in damages.
He did not face criminal charges of rape in this instance.
Ivana died in July 2022, after falling down the stairs at her home in Manhattan.
Back in March, the Estate of the late Irish singer Sinead O’Connor also blasted Donald Trump for using her music at his political rallies. More on that here.
