Mark Burnett ‘Does Not Have the Ability’ to Release Donald Trump Footage, Producer Says
Mark Burnett broke his silence on Donald Trump on Monday, with the superproducer stating that he cannot release any footage of the GOP candidate from his time on “The Apprentice” that isn’t already available.
MGM and Burnett issued the following statement to TheWrap regarding the scandal:
“MGM owns Mark Burnett‘s production company and ‘The Apprentice’ is one of its properties. Despite reports to the contrary, Mark Burnett does not have the ability nor the right to release footage or other material from ‘The Apprentice.’ Various contractual and legal requirements also restrict MGM’s ability to release such material.
The recent claims that Mark Burnett has threatened anyone with litigation if they were to leak such material are completely and unequivocally false. To be clear, as previously reported in the press, which Mark Burnett has confirmed, he has consistently supported Democratic campaigns.”
Burnett has been under pressure to release behind the scenes footage of Trump after a 2005 recording of the GOP candidate surfaced in which he tells former “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush that he is free to grope women due to his celebrity status.
Also Read: Watch Trump Fire a 'Celebrity Apprentice' Contestant for 'Locker Room Talk'
On Friday, a tape surfaced of Trump talking with Bush, in which Trump said, “I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ‘em by the p—y.”
The Associated Press corroborated the notion that “The Apprentice” is sitting on the makings of an even bigger scandal than the 2005 tape. The outlet interviewed more than 20 former “Apprentice” contestants, crew members and editors who said Trump was regularly disparaging toward women and used sexist language.
“If there was a break in the conversation, he would then look at one of the female cast members, saying ‘You’re looking kind of hot today, I love that dress on you,’ then he would turn to one of the male cast members and say ‘Wouldn’t you sleep with her?’ and then everyone would laugh,” a former crew member said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of a non-disclosure agreement.
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