Member Of Donald Trump Biopic 'The Apprentice' Team Accused Of Sexual Misconduct
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.'
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