The Apprenticedirector Ali Abbasi has been accused of sexual misconduct.The Apprentice, which is a biopic following the life of Donald Trump from the 1970s through the 1980s, has earned two2025 Oscar nominations, one for Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump, and the other for Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn. Prior to helming the Oscar-nominated movie, Abbasi was best known for directing two episodes of the post-apocalyptic HBO seriesThe Last Of Usand the 2022 filmHoly Spider, which follows a journalist investigating a serial killer who targets sex workers.
PerDeadline,Ali Abbasi has now been accused of “aggressively grop[ing]” a well-known actor while intoxicated at an afterpartyhosted by the talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) following the Golden Globes, where Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong were nominated forThe Apprentice. There are conflicting reports about how CAA handled the alleged incident, with one saying that CAA asked Abbasi to apologize to the actor, and another saying that he was warned against any further contact.
How The Ali Abbasi Allegations Are Being Handled
The Apprentice Director Has Been Dropped By CAA
In the wake of these allegations,Abbasi is no longer being represented in the United States by CAA or his former management company, Entertainment 360. The exact origin of this split remains unknown, as it has not been confirmed if he was dropped by either company or departed of his own accord. These splits were both confirmed to have taken place as of January 27, which was just over three weeks after the2025 Golden Globes. Below, read a statement Abbasi has already given on the situation, prior to these misconduct allegations coming to light:
I can confirm that I’ve made the decision to move in a new direction with my career. I’m grateful for the work CAA and Entertainment 360 have done, particularly their commitment to The Apprentice, which remains a project I’m incredibly proud of. I look forward to announcing my next steps at the appropriate time.”
At the time of writing, Abbasi is still being represented in the United Kingdom by LARK. However, he is alsono longer partnered with the public relations company The Lede Company. That seems to be unrelated, as their contract, which was tied to the release ofThe Apprentice, has reportedly expired. Abbasi is likewise no longer being represented by the law firm Granderson Des Rochers, thoughDeadlinereports that a source claims this is also unrelated.
The Long-Ranging Effects Of These Allegations Are Unknown
The Situation Is Ongoing
It is unclear how much more fallout will result from these allegations against Ali Abbasi. So far, there does not seem to have been a formal legal complaint filed. Additionally, the nominations for thecast ofThe Apprenticeare still pending. In fact,Oscar voting has already closed as of February 18, three days before these allegations were published. Ultimately, it remains unknown if Abbasi will attend the Oscars, whether or not the movie seems likely to win, or if the allegations will impact any upcoming projects.
