Ali Abbasi Responds to Golden Globes Party Groping Report

The Apprentice director Ali Abbasi has responded to a recent allegation that he groped an actor at a Golden Globes afterparty. “I fully understand that my action made someone uncomfortable, regardless of my intent, and for that I am truly sorry,” he said in a February 22 statement. A Deadline report published on February 21 previously alleged that the director had “aggressively groped” an unnamed A-lister while inebriated. According to Abbasi, he had been excited to “reconnect” with the person in question, whom he described as someone he had spent time with on “multiple occasions” and “had reason to think” he had a friendly relationship with. “I made an over-familiar gesture—a slap on the rear—which I intended as playful and not in any sexual way whatsoever,” Abbasi said. “I quickly realized I had misjudged the situation. I apologized to him on the spot, and the following day I made sure my apology was reiterated through my representatives.” He went on to note that he “made a mistake” and has “learned a valuable life lesson.”

Following the groping allegation, multiple outlets reported that Abbasi is no longer represented by Creative Artists Agency and Entertainment 360. In his statement, Abbasi denied that his representatives dropped him due to this incident. Instead, he suggested that he was the one who chose to leave, characterizing his exit as a “long term career decision that was not shaped by short term motivations.” Abbasi concluded his statement by directing attention back to his Donald Trump biopic starring Sebastian Stan, noting, “I remain grateful for the incredible work of our cast, crew and supporters on The Apprentice, and I hope the focus stays on their achievements.”