Trump biopic’s Irish producers on its controversial rape scene: ‘We believe in keeping it’

The day after the film’s Cannes premiere, Ruth Treacy and Julianne Forde share why they want it in cinemas before November’s US election

Jeremy Strong (Roy Cohn) and Sebastian Stan (Donald Trump) in The Apprentice. Photo courtesy of Tailored Films Ltd

Darren Mooney

Only a few thousand people on the planet have seen The Apprentice, the controversial Donald Trump biopic, but it has become the focal point of fierce discourse — and its subject is threatening legal action.

Eighteen hours after the film’s worldwide premiere at Cannes, its Irish producers Ruth Treacy and Julianne Forde are in a café opposite the Grand Palace that serves as the hub for the festival. The Tailored Films founders have been visiting the film festival for years, seeking international distribution. This year was a little different: the pair stood on the red carpet with stars Sebastian Stan and Maria Bakalova for The Apprentice’s premiere.