“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.
