The Apprentice director sheds light on ‘groping’ incident and apologizes for ‘mistake’

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ali Abbasi, the director of the controversial Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice, has spoken out about recent accusations that he groped an A-list celebrity following the 2025 Golden Globes. I apologized to him on the spot, and the following day I made sure my apology was reiterated through my representatives.” Ali Abbasi was accused of 'aggressively groping' an A-list celebrity at the 2025 Golden Globes Continuing, Abbasi denied rumors that he had been dropped by his representation “due to this interaction.” “The suggestion that I was dropped by my representation due to this interaction is false. “I believe in taking accountability for my actions; I made a mistake, I apologized and have learned a valuable life lesson.” He concluded: “I remain grateful for the incredible work of our cast, crew and supporters on The Apprentice, and I hope the focus stays on their achievements.” Abbasi’s The Apprentice, which had been nominated for two awards at the 2025 Golden Globes, will again compete at the 2025 Oscars in the acting categories. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Sebastian Stan — who leads the film as a young Donald Trump — is in contention for Best Actor, while Jeremy Strong — who stars as political fixer and Trump’s former mentor Roy Cohn — is among the Best Supporting Actor nominees.