1

The 2024 Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice is controversial in part because it depicts Trump raping his then-wife Ivana.

It strikes me as a very personal and sensitive thing to dramatise. Maybe I'd appreciate the acknowledgement and awareness-raising, but probably not if it were done without my involvement or at least permission. Surely there is a lot of scope here for very public re-traumatisation?

I can't find any confirmation that the filmmakers approached Ivana, and in fact she became less strident in her statements about the attack as the years went by.

Does anybody know whether Ivana was consulted regarding dramatisation of her assault? What are the usual rules and norms around this?

Improve this question
8
  • 4
    Worth noting that, while Ivana Trump passed away in July 2022, the film has apparently been in development since 2018, leaving plenty of time for the filmmakers to have consulted her on this issue.
    – F1Krazy
    Commented Oct 15 at 13:39
  • 2
    Under US laws, you can say (almost) anything (free speech - First Amendment). You can also be sued for saying that (if it's not true, or a lie). Ms Ivana didn't have to be asked, but the producers would take more than chances to not consult her (because of future legal actions by her heirs).
    – OldPadawan
    Commented Oct 15 at 13:42
  • 6
    "she became less strident in her statements" She was under a gag order.
    – Yorik
    Commented Oct 15 at 15:47
  • As others have said, there's no requirement to gain permission or consult over including a part based on a real person, you just risk being sued for defamation if reputation damaging false events are portayed as real. That said, I am sure that they are far more concerned (and sought advice from laywers) on portaying Donald Trump as a a rapist than Ivana as a victim.
    – iandotkelly ♦
    Commented Oct 15 at 17:17
  • @Yorik I was trying not to imply that she walked back the allegation because I suspected something like that might be going on (not from the US and don't know all the details). To the extent she's spoken about it since her allegation, although nothing directly answered my question, none of that sounded like a victim who would be very keen to have their "fight taken to the perpetrator" in this manner. I wonder how many rape victims would want this - some sure, but if they didn't then good lord... I didn't know she was dead though so I guess there's that
    – benxyzzy
    Commented Oct 15 at 18:17

0

Reset to default

You must log in to answer this question.

Browse other questions tagged .