Emma Thompson, the queen of wit and wisdom, recently spilled tea on the suspicion-inducing phone call she got from none other than Donald Trump back in 1998. Yes, you read that correctly. The same Trump who would go on to dominate reality TV and, oh yeah, become President of the United States, twice.
Emma Thompson Recalls Trump’s Date Invitation
While promoting her new movie at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, Thompson went on a trip down memory lane to recall what could have been one of the most questionable dates in Hollywood history. Picture this scene for a moment. You’re in your trailer, filming a political comedy loosely inspired by Bill Clinton’s campaign, and suddenly, the phone rings. Is it Steven Spielberg? A call from your agent? Nope.
It’s Donald freaking Trump, inviting you to dine at one of his “beautiful places.” Because apparently, adding “beautiful” to a sentence was his go-to brand even back then. “It was Donald Trump,” Thompson shared. And honestly, who wouldn’t? She added, “He said: ‘Hello, this is Donald Trump.’ I thought it was a joke and asked, ‘How can I help you?’
The phrase “Hi, it’s Donald Trump” might as well have come with a laugh track in the ’90s. She graciously played along, thinking he was lost and needed directions (which may or may not be metaphorically accurate). But no, Mr. Trump was serious about having dinner with Emma Thompson after offering a stay at one of his esteemed properties.
“Then Trump said: ‘I’d love you to come and stay at one of my beautiful places. Maybe we could have dinner.’ I said: ‘Well, that’s very sweet. Thank you so much. I’ll get back to you.” At the time, Emma Thompson was recently divorced from Kenneth Branagh. In addition, Trump himself was split from his second wife, Marla Maples. Emma Thompson said, “I realised my divorce decree had come through that day. I bet he’s got people looking for a lovely divorcee to take out on his arm.” She then joked, “And he found the number in my trailer, I mean, that’s stalking.”
Final Thoughts
This call happened on the very day the Oscar-winning star’s divorce from Kenneth Branagh was finalized. Fantastic timing, right? It’s almost like Trump had some Secret Service-level intel on celebrity heartbreaks. Flash forward to today, Emma Thompson has moved on to romance. She tied the knot with actor Greg Wise in 2003, proving that love stories don’t always need to involve grand gestures from billionaires with questionable hair.
In other news, Comedian Dave Chappelle honored David Letterman at a Tribeca screening of an unreleased documentary. Tragically, T Hood, a star rapper, was shot and killed at his home in Snellville, Georgia. He was only 33 years old. It is very sad because he had his whole life ahead of him and was a gifted artist. He was a relatable figure because his style brought grit and realism into every verse in every song.
