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
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • Herald NOW
    • All Herald NOW
    • Ryan Bridge TODAY
    • Herald NOW Business
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Herald NOW Business
    • 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
    • Generate wealth weekly
    • 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
  • 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
  • Gisborne
  • 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

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

Woody Harrelson recounts 'brutal' dinner date with Donald Trump

news.com.au staff writers
news.com.au·
29 Oct, 2017 07:10 PM3 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
Woody Harrelson recounts 'brutal' dinner date with Trump. Source: Youtube / HBO - Real Time with Bill Maher

Actor Woody Harrelson has revealed he had to light up a joint just to make it through a "brutal" dinner date with now-President Donald Trump.

The 56-year-old was invited to dine with Trump in 2002 by American media personality Jesse Ventura, who Trump wanted to run with on a Democratic ticket in 2004.

"I went and it was brutal. I never met a more narcissistic man. He talked about himself the whole time," Harrelson recalled to US TV host Bill Maher on Friday.

Woody Harrelson has recounted his 2002 dinner with Donald Trump. Photo / AP
Woody Harrelson has recounted his 2002 dinner with Donald Trump. Photo / AP

Maher jokingly questioned: "So he's changed a lot?"

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I had to walk out halfway through, smoke a joint, just to steel myself for the rest of the thing," the War for the Planet of the Apes star said.

Harrelson appeared on the show to promote his new film LBJ, in which he plays former president Lyndon B. Johnson.

Describing LBJ, Harrelson said "he wasn't publicly vulgar like our president incumbent".

According to the Daily Mail, Harrelson was pictured with Ventura and Trump on Christmas Eve 1998 after having dinner. It's not clear how many times Harrelson has dined with Trump.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It comes after Harrelson revealed how his wife, Laura Louie, found out about his infamous 2002 foursome.

"I'm not sure how Laura found out, but she did," he told the Hollywood Reporter.

"I was kind of hoping she wouldn't see it. I can't remember the details; I've doubtless repressed it. She never saw the thing. But someone told her."

As Harrelson recalled, he was approached by two women after a night out at a London hot spot 15 years ago. The trio was joined by another female, who hopped into a car with them as they headed back to his place. "These girls came up to me, these two girls, and asked me, 'So you want to take a walk on the wild side?' So I said, 'I guess I do,'" Harrelson explained.

Discover more

World

Cyclist offers Trump middle fingered salute

29 Oct 09:23 PM

The actor revealed the third female passenger was a member of the press, who also enlisted a photographer, after manipulating the other two women. "I was bummed when they all left together 'cause I knew it was going to happen [an article]. News of the World, it was. I never read it 'cause I didn't want to read it," he shared.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

When it came time to speak with his other half, Harrelson wasn't expecting her response.

"Laura - this really gives you a sense of the depth of her compassion - what she said to me after finding out was, 'That must be really hard for you, to have this s**t exposed,'" he said.

"She just said that. Now that doesn't mean she wasn't upset."

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Premium
Property

Castle’s $3m reno balloons to $11m as owners partly blame delays caused by council opposition

29 Apr 01:00 AM
Entertainment

Taylor Swift explains why she was ‘mad’ at her parents when she wrote Love Story

29 Apr 12:48 AM
Entertainment

Sir Sam Neill reveals he's cancer-free after 'it looked like I was on the way out'

28 Apr 11:07 PM

Sponsored

Aotearoa Art Fair: How growing your art collection boosts the economy

29 Apr 01:19 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

Premium
Premium
Castle’s $3m reno balloons to $11m as owners partly blame delays caused by council opposition
Property

Castle’s $3m reno balloons to $11m as owners partly blame delays caused by council opposition

But the Central Otago District Council says there was no hold-up from its side.

29 Apr 01:00 AM
Taylor Swift explains why she was ‘mad’ at her parents when she wrote Love Story
Entertainment

Taylor Swift explains why she was ‘mad’ at her parents when she wrote Love Story

29 Apr 12:48 AM
Sir Sam Neill reveals he's cancer-free after 'it looked like I was on the way out'
Entertainment

Sir Sam Neill reveals he's cancer-free after 'it looked like I was on the way out'

28 Apr 11:07 PM


Aotearoa Art Fair: How growing your art collection boosts the economy
Sponsored

Aotearoa Art Fair: How growing your art collection boosts the economy

29 Apr 01:19 AM
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
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP