Trump and His Biographical Film: A “Grueling” Battle with a Dull Blade
Despite facing many legal battles that he mostly considers “a conspiracy against him,” former US President Donald Trump‘s latest battle is one he initiated himself.
Trump, who is seeking to return to the White House, is now engaged in a new fight against the biographical film “The Apprentice,” an independent cinematic production that premiered a few days ago at the Cannes Film Festival.
Trump‘s lawyers have described the film as a “defamatory farce,” but to prove this defamation, the Republican billionaire will have to undertake a grueling battle, especially since the filmmakers have preemptively tried to avoid such an accusation by asserting that it is not a representation of the truth, but “inspired by real events,” according to the American site Business Insider.
In statements to the site, attorney Cameron Dulatshahi said that the phrase “inspired by real events” is usually sufficient to give filmmakers enough leeway to use their expressions and avoid defamation lawsuits.
Criminal Charges
Dulatshahi also explained that even if Trump proves the film to be “defamatory,” the former president, who constantly makes headlines due to numerous criminal charges against him, would have to demonstrate that this film alone had some impact on his brand.
Previously, Stephen Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump‘s campaign, told Business Insider that the film was full of “blatantly false claims,” adding: “This trash is pure fiction that revives lies that have long been debunked.”
A Double-Edged Sword
Although it is unclear what is real and what is fiction in the film, starring Sebastian Stan of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” fame, the fact is that many of the rumors about Trump in the film have followed his real life for a long time.
Dulatshahi noted that Trump’s confrontation with the independent film could draw attention to the rumors that have plagued the former president and from which the filmmakers derived their events, known as the “Streisand Effect,” or creating more interest in something by trying to keep it quiet.
According to the American lawyer, this additional attention could benefit the production company, which described the film in a previous statement as a “fair and balanced portrayal” of the former president.
