‘Apprentice’ Producer Denounces Trump but Won’t Release Possibly Damning Tapes

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/14/business/media/mark-burnett-apprentice-donald-trump.html?smid=tw-share

By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM and RACHEL ABRAMS
OCT. 13, 2016


A person familiar with Mr. Trump’s “Apprentice” contract, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe confidential terms, said M.G.M. would have to obtain Mr. Trump’s permission before releasing unaired footage of him from the show, part of a clause granting Mr. Trump control over the use of his name and likeness.

The clause in Mr. Trump’s contract is not unusual in reality television, and M.G.M. said on Wednesday that it intended to honor its agreements. Few Hollywood studios wish to be at the center of a fevered political dispute, and M.G.M.’s statement did not mention Mr. Trump by name.

Still, some critics have wondered if Mr. Burnett — whose other hits include “Survivor,” “Shark Tank” and “The Voice” — was simply trying to maintain cordial ties with Mr. Trump, who retains a financial interest in the “Apprentice” franchise and whose on-air skills have generated tens of millions of dollars for Mr. Burnett. (“The Celebrity Apprentice” returns in January on NBC with Arnold Schwarzenegger taking over as host.)

Entertainment lawyers interviewed this week wondered if Mr. Trump would have much of a legal case if “Apprentice” footage were released. The “name and likeness” clause is typically invoked if a celebrity’s image is used for profit — not as documentary evidence in a presidential campaign.

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In a sign that Mr. Burnett was wary of the effect on his public image — particularly in his left-leaning entertainment milieu — his statement began with an emphatic phrase: “I am NOT pro-Trump.”

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