Watch Donald Trump 'fire' a woman for using 'locker room' talk on Celebrity Apprentice
Donald Trump's primary response to a hot-mic recording of him saying vulgar things about women is that he was just engaging in "locker room talk" with Access Hollywood host Billy Bush in 2005. Regardless of whether men actually talk like that in locker rooms, Trump apparently has a broad definition of what "locker room" banter entails, and he did not always find it a reasonable excuse. In the third season of The Celebrity Apprentice, in 2010, Trump fired pro wrestler Maria Kanellis for complaining about Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone defecating in the women's locker room, leaving a stench behind.
In the clip, posted by The Daily Show, Trump calls Kanellis' comment "a little below the belt" and asked her, "Do you sort of regret having said that?" When Kanellis did not regret her comment, saying Stone really was "arrogant" for stinking up her dressing room, Trump said: "Isn't it sort of gross, though, bringing that up? It's like disgusting. This is my boardroom. It's not a locker room. Maria, you're fired."
There are reportedly unaired videos and transcripts from the Apprentice series where Trump says worse things than discussing grabbing women's genitals and trying to bed married women, but as long as he doesn't discuss bowel movements, maybe by Trump's standards, his "locker room talk" isn't a firing offense.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
'Make legal immigration a more plausible option'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
LA-to-Las Vegas high-speed rail line breaks ground
Speed Read The railway will be ready as soon as 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel's military intelligence chief resigns
Speed Read Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva is the first leader to quit for failing to prevent the Hamas attack in October
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds cap credit card late fees at $8
speed read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule to save households an estimated $10 billion a year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published