Sexist Treatment of Women on The Apprentice: Accounts from Contestants, Crew, and Former Staff
Tier 4Documented2004-01-01 to 2018-08-14
Factual Summary
Between 2004 and 2015, Donald Trump served as the host and executive producer of The Apprentice and its spinoff, The Celebrity Apprentice, on NBC. During that period, multiple former contestants, crew members, and production staff described a workplace environment in which Trump routinely engaged in sexist behavior, including rating women's physical appearances, speculating about their sexual behavior, and making demeaning comments about their bodies.
In October 2016, the Associated Press published an investigation based on interviews with more than 20 former crew members, editors, and contestants. The accounts described a pattern of conduct in which Trump treated the set as a space where normal workplace standards did not apply. Former producer Katherine Walker stated that Trump would speculate aloud about which female contestants would be "a tiger in bed." Rebecca Arndt, a camera assistant, recalled Trump commenting on the attractiveness of camera operators, saying things like "There is a beautiful woman behind that camera, so I only want to look at that."
Multiple sources described Trump rating female contestants by their physical attributes, including breast size, and openly discussing which women he found sexually attractive. One former staffer told the AP: "Most men have to behave because they are in a workplace, but he could do what he wanted." The staffer noted that while typical workplaces require employees to acknowledge sexual harassment policies, Trump's position as the star of the show insulated him from accountability.
The Hollywood Reporter published a separate account in which former Apprentice participants described both sexist and racist behavior behind the scenes. Several former contestants said that Trump made comments about women's weight and appearance that had no connection to the business tasks the show was ostensibly about.
Omarosa Manigault Newman, who appeared on the first season of The Apprentice in 2004 and later served as a White House communications aide, provided extended accounts of Trump's treatment of women and minorities in her 2018 book "Unhinged." After she left the White House and became publicly critical of Trump, he referred to her on Twitter as a "dog," a characterization that multiple commentators noted carried particular dehumanizing weight when directed at a Black woman.
Trump's treatment of women on the show also extended to his public commentary. In interviews during the show's run, Trump discussed female contestants' looks and compared their attractiveness. These comments were made on the record and are part of the public archive of Trump's media appearances during this period.
Efforts by journalists and political opponents to obtain unaired footage from The Apprentice, sometimes referred to as "the tapes," were largely unsuccessful. Mark Burnett, the show's creator and producer, controlled the footage, and MGM (which acquired Burnett's production company) declined to release unaired material. Non-disclosure agreements signed by contestants and crew further limited public disclosures.
Primary Sources
1. Associated Press investigation, interviews with 20+ former Apprentice crew members, editors, and contestants, October 2016
2. Omarosa Manigault Newman, "Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House," Gallery Books, 2018
3. Trump's Twitter post referring to Omarosa as a "dog," August 14, 2018
4. On-the-record media interviews in which Trump commented on female contestants' appearances during The Apprentice's broadcast run
Corroborating Sources
1. Associated Press/CBS News: "How Donald Trump's 'The Apprentice' moved from capitalism to sexism for some contestants," October 2016
2. Variety: "Donald Trump: Apprentice Cast, Crew Say He Made Lewd, Sexist Comments," October 2016
3. The Hollywood Reporter: "Tapes or No Tapes, 'The Apprentice' Alums Recall Donald Trump's Sexist and Racist Behavior," 2016
4. NBC Philadelphia: "'Apprentice' Insiders Say Donald Trump Repeatedly Demeaned Women: AP Report," October 2016
Counterarguments and Context
Trump denied making inappropriate comments and characterized the accusations as politically motivated attacks timed to damage his 2016 presidential campaign. His supporters argued that reality television production involves provocative behavior by design and that comments made in an entertainment context should not be treated as evidence of workplace misconduct. They noted that many contestants voluntarily participated in the show and that Trump maintained professional relationships with numerous women in his business and television careers. The non-disclosure agreements that prevented some potential witnesses from speaking publicly were characterized by Trump's representatives as standard entertainment industry practice rather than evidence of concealment. Defenders also pointed out that no formal legal complaints of sexual harassment were filed in connection with The Apprentice. However, the consistency of accounts from more than 20 independent sources interviewed by the Associated Press, combined with on-the-record media comments that are part of the public record, gives the claims substantial weight. The non-disclosure agreements, while standard in entertainment, also prevented a full accounting of the conduct described by those who did speak.
Author's Note
This entry is classified as Tier 4 because the primary evidence consists of investigative journalism rather than adjudicated legal findings or official investigations. The AP's investigation, based on more than 20 independent sources, represents credible and thorough reporting. The absence of formal legal complaints may reflect the power dynamics of a television set where Trump held unilateral authority over contestants' participation and career prospects, as well as the constraining effect of non-disclosure agreements. The "dog" comment directed at Omarosa is documented through Trump's own public social media post and is not disputed.