Ali Abbasi, the director of The Apprentice, is addressing rumors that he touched an unidentified A-list star during a January event.
Abbasi started off by saying, “I want to address the recent articles about me directly and openly,” in a social media statement. “I fully understand that my action made someone uncomfortable, regardless of my intent, and for that I am truly sorry.”
The director’s answer follows a Deadline report from February 21 that said he “aggressively groped” an A-lister at the CAA Golden Globes afterparty while “intoxicated.”
My statement concerning the recent events: pic.twitter.com/fDixpQjQmO
— Ali Abbasi (@_aliabbasi_) February 22, 2025
“I had reason to believe that we were friendly because I had spent time with the individual in question on several occasions. I was eager to get back in touch with him when I saw him at the Golden Globes celebration,” Abbasi wrote. “I made an over-familiar gesture—a slap on the rear—which I intended as playful and not in any sexual way whatsoever.”
“I immediately realized I had miscalculated the situation,” Abbasi added. I immediately apologized to him, and the next day I made sure my representatives repeated my apology.
The accusations were accompanied by the announcement that Abbasi had split with Management 360 and CAA. The filmmaker asserted, however, that he made the choice to break with his representatives on his own initiative and that it had been planned long before the Deadline report was out.
“The suggestion that I was dropped by my representation due to this interaction is false,” he stated. “My decision to part ways was a long term career decision that was not shaped by short term motivations.”
“I take responsibility for my actions; I made a mistake, I apologized, and I have learned a valuable life lesson,” he said in closing. I continue to be appreciative of the amazing work done by our cast, staff, and supporters on The Apprentice, and I hope that their accomplishments continue to be highlighted.
Abbasi is presently traveling to promote the movie, which chronicles Donald Trump’s ascent through the 1980s real estate market under the tutelage of his infamous lawyer and mentor, Roy Cohn. The movie also discusses the future president’s private life, including a particularly graphic moment in which Sebastian Stan’s character, Trump, sexually abuses his ex-wife, Ivana.
She later denied the initial testimony, stating that she felt “violated” but did not want to accuse someone of rape “in a literal criminal sense.” She had previously testified about the incident in her divorce proceedings.
The celebrated movie has received a good amount of attention this awards season, especially for the performances of leads Stan and Jeremy Strong, who are both nominated at the upcoming Academy Awards, despite legal issues and early trouble finding mainstream distributors.
Abbasi has continued to attend industry events in spite of the controversy, including the Indie Spirit Awards on Saturday.
The director defended his appearance when Variety asked him about the choice, saying, “My statement is out there, it speaks for itself.” I’m here to support [The Apprentice] and celebrate movies, as I usually do.
Keep up with the most recent events with The Apprentice and Ali Abbasi. This awards season, the movie is still making headlines despite the controversy. Do you want to learn more about this story and other news from the industry? For in-depth reporting and exclusive updates, visit our website!
