Emma Thompson on Trump call

Emma Thompson recalls a call from Donald Trump on the set of Primary Colors that she says could have changed history.

Emma Thompson Alleges Trump Stalked Her for a Date

Emma Thompson told the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland on Friday that while filming the 1998 satire Primary Colors she received a phone call in her trailer from Donald Trump. Thompson said she believed it was a joke and asked how she could help; she recalls he offered to have her stay in one of his properties and to dine with him. She noted the call occurred on the day her divorce from Kenneth Branagh was finalized, describing the moment as striking in hindsight.

The article adds that three years later Trump met Melania at the Kit Kat Klub in New York City. Thompson ties the memory to the era of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, recalling discussions about the scandal while making the film. She has spoken about the episode before, including on a 2017 Graham Norton Show, where she described the call in greater detail.

This memory shows how private moments can weave into the public record, especially around a polarizing figure. A single phone call becomes a lens on how history might have unfolded, shaping readers’ sense of the late 1990s. Such anecdotes reveal how celebrity recollections contribute to political context, sometimes more through emotion than fact.

There is also a question of verification. The account rests on Thompson’s memory and public retellings, not on independent documentation. That tension matters because it tests how we treat celebrity narratives when they touch serious political history. Editors should present the anecdote with care, clearly separating memory from verifiable events while inviting reflection on how culture and politics intertwine across decades.

Highlights

Memory keeps quietly reassembling the past, long after the headlines fade.