Emma Thompson revealed that Donald Trump once called her in 1998
Inviting her to stay at one of his properties and have dinner
She joked that accepting the date might have “changed the course of American history.”
Academy Award-winning actress Emma Thompson has shared a surprising story. Donald Trump once called her to invite her to dinner. It happened on the same day her divorce was finalised. She joked that accepting the invitation “could have changed the course of American history.”
Emma Thompson spoke at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland on August 8. She was presented with the Leopard Club Award for career achievement. The 66-year-old British actress shared a story from 1998. She recalled an unexpected phone call she received while filming the political dramedy Primary Colors.
Thompson said she was in her trailer when the phone rang, and on answering, she heard, “Hello, this is Donald Trump.” Thinking it was a prank, she replied, “How can I help you? Maybe he needed directions from someone.”
According to Thompson, Trump then said, “I’d love you to come and stay at one of my beautiful places. Maybe we could have dinner.” She responded, “Well, that’s very sweet. Thank you so much. I’ll get back to you.”
It was only later, she explained, that she connected the timing.
“I realised that on that day, my divorce decree had come through. And I bet he's got people looking for suitable people he could take out on his arm. You know, a nice divorcee, that's what he was looking for. And he found the number in my trailer. I mean, that's stalking.”
Poking fun at the hypothetical scenario, Thompson added,
“I could have gone on a date with Donald Trump, and then I would have a story to tell. I could have changed the course of American history.”
At the time of the call, Thompson had just ended her marriage to actor Kenneth Branagh, which lasted from 1989 to 1995. Trump had recently separated from his second wife, Marla Maples, and later married Melania Trump in 2005.
Thompson has shared the anecdote before, including in a 2017 television interview, where Swedish host Fredrik Skavlan joked, “You could be the First Lady. You could have stopped him!” Thompson replied that she had still never met Trump in person.
A similar story has been recounted by actress Salma Hayek, who claimed Trump once asked her out while she was in a relationship, allegedly telling her, “He’s not good enough for you. You should go out with me.”
During her appearance at Locarno, Thompson also reflected on her extensive film career, including her role in the 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually, and discussed broader topics such as women’s rights, refugee advocacy, and sexuality in later life. [Rh/Eth/VP]
