NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Apprentice star demands to see footage in Trump 'groping and kissing' defamation case

Other
3 May, 2018 12:20 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Summer Zervos leaves Manhattan Supreme Court at the conclusion of a hearing in New York last year. Photo / AP

Summer Zervos leaves Manhattan Supreme Court at the conclusion of a hearing in New York last year. Photo / AP

A former contestant on The Apprentice who has accused President Donald Trump of unwanted groping and kissing is seeking footage from the reality TV show as part of her defamation lawsuit against him.

Summer Zervos' lawyer, Mariann Wang, said Wednesday she issued a subpoena for any Apprentice material that features Zervos or Trump talking about her or discussing other female contestants in a sexual or inappropriate way.

Wang also subpoenaed records from the Beverly Hills Hotel, where Zervos says Trump made unwelcome advances in 2007.

"We are gathering evidence that will prove that the defendant (Trump) lied when he falsely denigrated Ms. Zervos and denied sexually assaulting her," Wang said.

Trump has denied Zervos' allegations. Zervos says he defamed her by saying she lied; Trump's lawyers say his remarks weren't slanderous.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Trump's lawyers didn't immediately respond to an inquiry about the new subpoenas, which seek emails, financial records and other documents in addition to any video and audio recordings. Trump's attorneys have been trying to get the case dismissed or at least held off until after Trump's presidency.

The question of what Trump might have said or done in Apprentice outtakes surfaced during his campaign. The Associated Press asked for original Apprentice footage before and after publishing an October 2016 story in which more than 20 former cast and crew members said Trump frequently used lewd, demeaning and sexist language on set and pointed out contestants he wanted to have sex with.

Pressure from former contestants and Democrats for the release of raw Apprentice footage increased later that month after The Washington Post published a 2005 Access Hollywood recording of Trump talking about aggressively groping women.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

At the time, MGM, which owns The Apprentice, said it couldn't unilaterally release any unaired, archived material because of contractual obligations. The show's producer, Mark Burnett, also said he didn't have the ability or right to release footage.

But Wang said a court could order the material to be turned over, regardless of contracts.

"It is one thing when the public at large is asking for something, but when you have the power of a court-ordered subpoena, a very different set of rules apply," she said.

MGM declined to comment on the subpoena, first reported by The New York Times. The Beverly Hills Hotel wouldn't comment beyond confirming it received a subpoena. From the hotel, Zervos' lawyers are seeking security video, records of Trump's stays, and any documents about a bodyguard and an assistant who worked for Trump for years.

Discover more

World

Trump confirms lawyer reimbursed after Stormy payment

03 May 05:51 PM
World

Again, Trump is caught in a lie. Will it change anything?

04 May 03:44 AM

Attorneys for Zervos previously subpoenaed Trump campaign documents concerning Zervos, any other woman who has accused Trump of inappropriate touching and the "Access Hollywood" tape. Trump's attorneys haven't yet responded to that subpoena.

Zervos' lawyers also have indicated they want to question the president under oath.

Zervos, a California restaurateur, appeared on The Apprentice in 2006. She says she later sought career advice from Trump but got unwanted kisses when they met in his New York office and at the hotel, where she said he also groped her.

Zervos was among more than a dozen women who came forward late in the presidential race to say Trump sexually harassed or assaulted them. He denied all the claims and at one point retweeted a message that included Zervos' photo and described her claims as a "hoax."

"Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign. Total fabrication. The events never happened," he said at a campaign rally.

Zervos's suit doesn't claim sexual harassment; the legal time clock for such a case ran out years ago. Instead, she's suing Trump for calling her a liar, saying it hurt her reputation, harmed her business and led to threats against her.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I've suffered terribly as a result of (Trump's) lies and attacks upon me," Zervos, a Republican, said in a sworn statement last September.

She's seeking about US$3,000 and an apology.

Trump's attorneys have said that his remarks were "non-defamatory opinions."

A Manhattan judge denied Trump's request to dismiss the case or postpone it past his presidency, but his lawyers are pursuing appeals.

- AP

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Entertainment

Seizures significant contributing factor in death of Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband

New Zealand

TV producer Dame Julie Christie | Naughtiest hosts and other quick fire questions

Watch
Premium
Entertainment

'There’s no money in this country to make television': Reality TV queen Dame Julie Christie


Sponsored

Sponsored: Is your home letting heat escape?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

Seizures significant contributing factor in death of Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband
Entertainment

Seizures significant contributing factor in death of Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband

The former talent manager died earlier this month after battling melanoma.

16 Aug 12:43 AM
TV producer Dame Julie Christie | Naughtiest hosts and other quick fire questions
New Zealand

TV producer Dame Julie Christie | Naughtiest hosts and other quick fire questions

Watch
15 Aug 09:00 PM
Premium
Premium
'There’s no money in this country to make television': Reality TV queen Dame Julie Christie
Entertainment

'There’s no money in this country to make television': Reality TV queen Dame Julie Christie

15 Aug 09:00 PM


Sponsored: Is your home letting heat escape?
Sponsored

Sponsored: Is your home letting heat escape?

14 Aug 12:28 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP