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In May 2024, after *The Apprentice* premiered at Cannes, Trump attorney David A. Warrington sent a cease-and-desist letter to the film’s director, Ali Abbasi, and writer, Gabriel Sherman. The letter accused the filmmakers of defamation and illegal election interference and demanded that they stop marketing and distributing the film. It did not prevent the film’s U.S. release: Briarcliff Entertainment later secured distribution, and the film opened in U.S. theaters on October 11, 2024.
What did the cease-and-desist letter say?
As reported by The Washington Post on May 24, 2024, Warrington described the film as a purportedly factual biography and alleged that it defamed Donald Trump. The letter stated: “It is a concoction of lies that repeatedly defames President Trump and constitutes direct foreign interference in America’s elections.” It also said: “The Movie presents itself as a factual biography of Mr. Trump, yet nothing could be further from the truth.”
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The letter demanded that the filmmakers cease the film’s distribution and marketing and set May 27, 2024, as a deadline for a response. The Guardian reported the demand as an attempt to block the film’s U.S. sale and release.
Why did the letter invoke election interference?
Warrington argued that the film amounted to “direct foreign interference in America’s elections,” pointing to Abbasi’s Iranian-Danish heritage and financing from Denmark, Ireland and Canada. The letter invoked restrictions on foreign nationals contributing or donating in connection with a federal election.
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The Washington Post said the relevance of the election-finance case cited in the letter to a film was unclear. It also noted that the Supreme Court has recognized First Amendment protection for movies. That reporting describes the letter’s legal argument and the broader context; it is not a court ruling on this dispute.
What in the film was disputed?
*The Apprentice*, written by Gabriel Sherman and directed by Ali Abbasi, follows Trump’s rise in New York real estate in the 1970s and 1980s and his relationship with lawyer Roy Cohn. Sebastian Stan plays Trump, Jeremy Strong plays Cohn and Maria Bakalova plays Ivana Trump, according to the Associated Press’s October 9, 2024 film overview.
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A scene depicting Trump sexually assaulting Ivana Trump became a major point of controversy. Reporting by the Washington Post and Guardian says Ivana described an assault in a sworn account connected with divorce proceedings, later clarified that she did not mean rape in a literal or criminal sense, and said she felt violated. Trump denied the allegation. The film’s dramatization is not evidence that the alleged event occurred, and the cited reporting does not describe a judicial finding on the allegation.
How did the filmmakers respond?
The producers defended the film publicly. The Washington Post reported their statement: “The film is a fair and balanced portrait of the former president. We want everyone to see it and then decide.”
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In a 2025 interview with TheJournal.ie, Irish producers Ruth Treacy and Julianne Forde said the letter “scared off distributors from getting involved with the project for the US.” That is their retrospective account of the letter’s effect, not a quantified measure of its impact.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did the letter stop or delay the U.S. release?
No. The threat did not prevent a U.S. theatrical release. The Washington Post reported on August 30, 2024, that Briarcliff Entertainment had secured U.S. distribution and that the film was scheduled to open October 11. The Associated Press confirmed on October 9 that it opened in October 2024. The letter was a demand; the cited coverage does not report that it resulted in a filed lawsuit or a judicial decision.
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