Several news agencies had reported a while ago that director Ali Abbasi, who made the Donald Trump biopic, The Apprentice, starring Sebastian Stan as Trump, was dropped by his agencies CAA and Entertainment 360 following a groping allegation made by an actor who was present with him at the Golden Globes party in January.
In his apology issued on his official X handle, the Iranian-Danish filmmaker says his gesture was intended as "playful" and "not in any sexual way whatsoever," adding that he had reasons to think that he had a "friendly relationship" with the male actor who had interacted with him several times before.
In his statement, Abbasi wrote: “I want to address the recent articles about me directly and openly. I fully understand that my action made someone uncomfortable, regardless of my intent, and for that, I am truly sorry. I had spent time with the person concerned on multiple occasions and had reason to think we had a friendly relationship. I made an over-familiar gesture — a slap on the rear — which I intended as playful and not in any sexual way whatsoever,” the filmmaker continued. ”I quickly realized I had misjudged the situation. I apologized to him on the spot, and the following day I made sure my apology was reiterated through my representative.”
Abbasi also clarified that his parting ways with CAA and Entertainment 360 had nothing to do with the aforementioned incident and that the decision was motivated by a "long-term" career move. “The suggestion that I was dropped by my representation due to this interaction is false. My decision to part ways was a long-term career decision that was not shaped by short motivations,” he said.
My statement concerning the recent events: pic.twitter.com/fDixpQjQmO
— Ali Abbasi (@_aliabbasi_) February 22, 2025
A critically acclaimed filmmaker, Abbasi is known for his bold and daring work in films such as Shelley (2016), Border (2018), and Holy Spider (2022).
The Apprentice, too, has been reviewed positively by most critics and has been nominated for various awards, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for Sebastian Stan and multiple award nominations for his co-star Jeremy Strong.
