Did Donald Trump betray his mentor Roy Cohn? A look at what The Apprentice got right 

Donald Trump's biopic The Apprentice launched in 2024 reportedly revealed his relationship with one of the most influential and ruthless lawyers named Roy Cohn. The lawyer was famous for his aggressive tactics and became Trump's mentor in the 1970s. He taught Trump the strategies of manipulation, attack, and survival in the cutthroat world of New York real estate.

The film's screenplay writer Gabriel Sherman confirmed that this movie has many unbelievable scenes based on real records. He gave one example about Trump inviting Roy to dinner and giving him a pair of cufflinks that looked expensive but were actually fake.

Roy felt deeply hurt before his death in 1986 from AIDS complications. A reporter for The Village Voice named Wayne Barrett revealed that Roy felt betrayed by Trump. Sherman explained that Trump distanced himself from Roy because his illness became public, and as a result, Roy was heartbroken.

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The Apprentice: Did Donald Trump ultimately break the heart of Roy Cohn?

In the movie, Donald Trump actually betrayed his mentor Roy Cohn by distancing himself from him after he found that Roy's illness had become public. Roy was diagnosed with AIDS in 1984. The BBC reported that Roy insisted publicly that he had liver cancer and denied that he was gay. According to the New York Times, he died because of cardiopulmonary arrest.

The film's plot revealed that Roy guided Trump closely, shaped his behavior, and even improved his way of speaking. The screenplay writer of the movie revealed that Trump absorbed almost everything from Roy. Sherman also revealed that people who knew Trump in the 1980s confirmed that the bond between them was controversial.

Here's what actually happened between Donald Trump and Roy Cohn in The Apprentice

The Apprentice revealed that Roy suffered from AIDS but denied it publicly. His partner Russell also fell ill, and Roy asked Trump to let Russell stay at the Hyatt. Later, Trump evicted Russell, claiming guests were complaining, and refused to meet Roy. After finding out the truth, Roy angrily called him an ungrateful fraud.

After Russell's death, Trump took Roy to Mar-a-Lago to celebrate his birthday and presented him with branded diamond cufflinks. However, during the dinner, Ivana revealed that the stones were zirconia imitations. When the cake was served, Roy broke down in tears and quietly left the table.

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