Top Hollywood talent agent Ari Emanuel, who used to represent President-elect Donald Trump, reportedly refused high-profile Democrats’ requests to release compromising videos of the billionaire during the election.
Following rumors tapes from Trump’s time as the owner of the Miss Universe Organization existed, billionaire Mark Cuban, who is represented by WME-IMG, pushed for his agent to obtain the tapes, sources confirmed to The Daily Beast. Emanuel is a co-CEO of WME-IMG. Emanuel — brother of prominent Democratic Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel — rejected his agent’s request, replying: “My brother is in politics, I’m not.”
According to the sources, the requests for the videos came within 10 days of the election. While Emanuel didn’t deny their existence, he opted against unveiling them despite a number of pageant contestants alleging Trump came backstage while they were dressing.
Emanuel made sizable donations to President Barack Obama, but had issues with former presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. The Daily Beast noted he wrote two op-eds for the Huffington Post in 2008 questioning her experience.
Trump has referred to Emanuel as a friend, with Emanuel helping him negotiate a deal with NBC for “The Apprentice,” and invited him to Trump Tower following his win Nov. 8.
“He’s a very good friend of mine. He calls me a lot. I call him a lot and we talk. He’s very political. Even though he’s not political, he’s political,” Trump told the Hollywood Reporter of Emanuel. “He gets it.”
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