Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson recently revealed that Donald Trump once asked her out in a way that left her uneasy. Speaking at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, the “Cruella” star recalled his unexpected phone call, which came during a rough patch in her personal life, and described how the then-future president pursued her despite the circumstances.
Thompson’s encounter with Trump occurred in 1998 while she was working on the set of “Primary Colors,” the political satire inspired by Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Thompson later realized Trump’s call came the very day her divorce from Kenneth Branagh was finalized. The timing felt too exact to be a coincidence, leaving the British actress unsettled and questioning how he could have known such intimate details about her private life.
“A phone rang in my trailer, and it was Donald Trump. I thought it was a joke,” Thompson revealed to the festival audience, according to Variety.
Picture date: Saturday May 6, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Coronation. Photo credit should read: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire
The conversation that followed was brief but memorable, with Trump saying, “I would love for you to stay in one of my beautiful places, and maybe we could have dinner.”
Thompson’s initial reaction was disbelief, admitting she thought someone might be playing an elaborate prank on her. However, the reality of the situation soon became clear, and she politely declined his invitation.
What troubled Thompson most wasn’t just the timing of the call, but how Trump had managed to track down her trailer phone number on a film set.
She characterized this behavior as “stalking,” expressing concern about the methods used to locate and contact her during such a private moment. The actress speculated that Trump likely had assistants monitoring court records to identify recently divorced women who might be available for dating, a practice that struck her as both calculated and invasive.
Thompson’s story adds another layer to the extensive documentation of Trump’s romantic pursuits during his years as a New York socialite and businessman. His dating history includes numerous actresses and models, though not all of these connections have been confirmed.
Candice Bergen once described going on what she called “a really dud” of a blind date with Trump when she was just 18, noting that she was “home by 9:00 PM” and describing him as “a good-looking guy and a douche,” People reported.
Among the confirmed relationships were actress Marla Maples, who began an affair with Trump while he was still married to his first wife, Ivana. This relationship became highly publicized, particularly after a confrontation between Ivana and Marla at an Aspen resort in 1989.
The affair eventually led to Trump’s divorce from Ivana and his subsequent marriage to Maples in 1993, with whom he had daughter Tiffany.
Other documented relationships included model Kara Young in the late 1990s and model Karen McDougal, who allegedly had a secret affair with Trump from 2006 to 2007, according to The Advocate.
Several other actresses and models, Newsweek reports, including Anna Nicole Smith, Carla Bruni, Catherine Oxenberg, and Robin Givens, have been rumored to have romantic connections with Trump, though they have publicly denied any such involvement.
The complex dynamics within Trump’s extended family continue to play out in public settings.
Recent events, such as Tiffany Trump’s baby shower in April 2025, highlight the intricate relationships between his current wife Melania and his former wife. Melania’s absence from the Miami celebration sparked speculation about family tensions, though sources attributed her absence to prior commitments with son Barron.
The relationship between Melania and Marla Maples has maintained an appearance of civility over the years, with both women attending family events like Tiffany’s 2022 wedding. However, their interactions suggest carefully maintained boundaries, particularly regarding events that bring together multiple generations and branches of the Trump family tree.
At the center of it is the reality star’s five children and their mothers. These family relationships have evolved against the backdrop of very public divorces and remarriages.
Ivana Trump, who died in 2022, had written extensively about her marriage to Donald and the challenges of co-parenting after their bitter divorce. Despite the difficult circumstances and anecdotes about the billionaire chasing women in Hollywood and other forms of entertainment, she dedicated her memoir to Donald and their three children.
The “How to Build a Girl” actress concluded her festival story with a dose of wit, joking that if she had accepted Donald Trump’s invitation years ago, “I could have changed the course of American history.”
Her laugh pointed to the unpredictable ripple effects that personal choices can have. Still, some might argue she was simply tying the tale up neatly, noting that even his current wife hasn’t been able to shift his thinking.
