“The Apprentice” director Ali Abbasi apologized on Saturday for what he described as a “slap on the rear” of an A-list actor at a Golden Globes afterparty in January which he claims was not sexual.
I made an over-familiar gesture—a slap on the rear—which I intended as playful and not in any sexual way whatsoever. I apologized to him on the spot, and the following day I made sure my apology was reiterated through my representatives
Abassi claims that he was not dropped as a client by U.S. reps at CAA & Entertainment 360, but rather the reverse — he dropped them. Regardless, The Wrap’s sources claim that his gesture towards this mysterious CAA-backed “A-List Actor” was more than just a “friendly” slap in the rear:
An individual with knowledge of the incident said he was accused of putting his finger in the actor’s buttocks crack. The A-list male actor has not been identified.
The Iranian-born filmmaker, who currently resides in Copenhagen, directed “The Apprentice,” a Donald Trump biopic that earned Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong Oscar nominations. If Abassi’s stock had risen in Hollywood because of the acclaimed film, it’s now crashed back down.
Netflix and Skydance Animation have also called it quits. The two sides announced Monday that they're ending the animated film deal struck back in 2023, framing it as a mutual decision.