"Emma Thompson Discloses Her Approach to Divorce, Revealing Her Decision to Refuse Trump"
In the heart of the mid-nineties, during a pivotal moment in her personal life, British actress Emma Thompson received an unexpected phone call. The call came from Donald Trump, who was in the midst of expanding his real estate empire, with several buildings under construction in the heart of New York City [1].
The conversation, as reported by The Telegraph, saw Trump suggesting a dinner date at one of his "beautiful places." The proposal came on the very day Thompson's divorce from actor Kenneth Branagh was finalized, and Trump had recently separated from his second wife, Marla Maples [2][4].
Thompson, who was on set filming the political drama Primary Colors at the time, politely declined the invitation, saying she would get back to him. In a humorous reflection, she later joked that accepting the invitation might have "changed the course of American history" [3][5].
The actress humorously described the timing as suspicious, likening Trump's call to "stalking," suggesting he might have been looking for "nice divorcees" to date [2][3][5]. It's worth noting that around the same time, Thompson had just married actor Greg Wise, and their marriage is nearing 20 years [6].
The possible outcomes if Thompson had accepted the invitation remain speculative, but she reflected on the moment with humor and implied it could have had significant personal and perhaps even historical implications, given Trump's future political career [3][5]. There was no indication the date proposal led to any further contact.
This story fits a broader pattern, with actress Salma Hayek also reportedly receiving date proposals from Trump but refusing them [3]. Thompson revealed the details of the conversation at a Swiss Film Festival. It's possible that one of the buildings Trump was constructing was what he was hinting at during the conversation [1].
References: 1. The Telegraph (2019). Emma Thompson on Donald Trump's date proposal: 'I could have changed the course of American history' [online] Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/news/emma-thompson-on-donald-trumps-date-proposal-i-could-have-changed-the-course-of-american-history/ 2. The Guardian (2019). Emma Thompson reveals Donald Trump asked her out on date in 1998 [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/feb/24/emma-thompson-reveals-donald-trump-asked-her-out-on-date-in-1998 3. CNN (2019). Emma Thompson recalls Donald Trump's 1998 date offer [online] Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/24/entertainment/emma-thompson-donald-trump-date-offer-intl/index.html 4. The Independent (2019). Emma Thompson reveals Donald Trump asked her out on a date in 1998 [online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/emma-thompson-donald-trump-date-offer-primary-colors-a8789081.html 5. Vanity Fair (2019). Emma Thompson on Donald Trump's 1998 Date Proposal: 'I Could Have Changed the Course of American History' [online] Available at: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/02/emma-thompson-donald-trump-date-proposal-primary-colors 6. People (2020). Emma Thompson and Greg Wise Are Still Going Strong After Nearly 20 Years of Marriage [online] Available at: https://people.com/movies/emma-thompson-greg-wise-marriage-20-years/
- In the midst of her personal life and career, Emma Thompson's encounter with Donald Trump highlighting his expansion in real estate, pop-culture, and celebrities intertwined in an unexpected manner.
- The interface of entertainment and pop-culture, such as the unusual dinner date proposal Trump extended to Emma Thompson, showcases a fascinating aspect of the lives of celebrities.
