Following the statement two days ago from MGM and Mark Burnett that addressed Burnett’s alleged threat to sue employees for leaking the sought-after Apprentice tapes, as well as his capacity to manage the status of those tapes at all, the producer has released another statement to clarify his political affiliations. A BuzzFeed News article citing “a source close to Burnett†claimed that Burnett is a Trump supporter, which would give him a strong interest in keeping any damaging video of the reality-TV star under wraps. That same source is the one who claimed Burnett “made clear to his teams that he will sue anyone who leaks.†But the producer is now refuting those claims. “Given all of the false media reports, I feel compelled to clarify a few points,†reads the statement from Burnett. “I am not now and have never been a supporter of Donald Trump’s candidacy. I am NOT ‘Pro-Trump.’ Further, my wife and I reject the hatred, division and misogyny that has been a very unfortunate part of his campaign.â€
Additionally, a legal representative for MGM clarified who has the final say on where any Apprentice videos go. “MGM, not Mark Burnett, owns ‘The Apprentice.’ MGM has agreements with artists across a wide spectrum of creative properties, including ‘The Apprentice.’ These agreements typically contain provisions related to confidentiality and artist’s rights. MGM has every intention of complying with its agreements with artists and honoring their rights, including with respect to ‘The Apprentice.’â€