Oscar-Winning Actress Reveals Donald Trump Asked Her Out on a Date Once — Details

The decorated film star revealed the encounter during a recent interview. Both the actress and the President of the United States had recently ended marriages at the time.

Emma Thompson is opening up about what could've been with Donald Trump. The actress spoke about her encounter with the president during the 78th Locarno Film Festival on Saturday, August 9, in Switzerland.

She revealed that Donald asked her out on a date the day her divorce from her ex-husband, Kenneth Branagh, was finalized. At the time, she was filming the 1998 comedy-drama "Primary Colors" and was in her trailer on set when her phone suddenly rang.

"It was Donald Trump," Emma recalled. "He said, 'Hello, this is Donald Trump.' I thought it was a joke and asked, 'How can I help you?' Maybe he needed directions from someone." She later wondered why Donald had contacted her.

"I realized that on that day, my divorce decree had come through," Emma said. "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," she joked. She then reflected, "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."

The year after "Primary Colors" was released, in June 1999, Donald settled his divorce with his former wife, Marla Maples. The TV personality walked away with $2 million — less than what she was reportedly entitled to under her and Donald's prenuptial agreement.

"After giving Donald two years to honor the verbal commitments he made to me during our 12-year relationship, I decided to walk away completely under the terms of the prenuptial agreement that had been placed before me just five days before our 1993 wedding," Marla told the New York Post at the time.

She complained that five days was not enough time to review the contract before she signed it, but against the advice of her attorney and other knowledgeable persons, she decided to move on with her life.

Donald refused to comment on her accusations, but said, "I am very happy that Marla has decided to live up to our agreement. I wish her all the best." Donald and Marla met at a charity tennis match in Atlantic City in 1985.

At the time, Donald was still married to his first wife, Ivana Trump. He and Marla began a relationship two years later, and their affair was exposed in 1990. He and Ivana divorced a year later, in 1991, after which he married Marla in 1993. The pair separated in 1997.

Around that time, Emma was filming the 1995 romantic comedy "Sense and Sensibility." The film, adapted from the Jane Austen novel of the same name, earned Emma her second Academy Award for Best Screenplay (her first was Best Actress in a Leading Role for "Howard's End").

Her marriage had also fallen apart due to infidelity. Emma discovered that her husband had been having an affair with his "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" co-star Helena Bonham Carter. The actress was devastated by the discovery and felt humiliated.

"I was utterly, utterly blind to the fact that he had relationships with other women on set. What I learned was how easy it is to be blinded by your own desire to deceive yourself," she told The New Yorker in November 2022.

"I was half alive. Any sense of being a lovable or worthy person had gone completely," she recalled. The affair, which took place many years ago, might be water under the bridge now for the parties involved, but it has shaped how they have reacted to one another over time.

All three have been able to handle the scandal maturely over the years and have since moved on with their lives with other people. Here is a recap of the drama.

THE SCANDAL

Kenneth and Helena first met in 1988 when they both took part in a poetry reading on a boat floating down the Thames. The two had their first proper conversation in 1993 when Helena was cast in the movie "Frankenstein," which was directed by Kenneth.

A relationship developed while on set, which was believed to have led to Kenneth's separation from his then-wife, Emma. Although the timeline is unclear, it was speculated that the budding romance was the straw that broke the camel's back of an already strained marriage.

Kenneth and Helena kept their relationship lowkey, though they were seen kissing in the summer of 1996. It was not until 1997 that Helena confirmed she and Kenneth were together.

In a twist of events, Carter had introduced them in 1997. They got married in 2003 after Brunnock gave him an ultimatum.

Over time, Helena has revealed that the media portrayal of her relationship with Kenneth was hurtful and frustrating as she knew the truth of all that happened.

KENNETH'S DIVORCE

When Kenneth and Emma decided to divorce, they did so amicably. They announced their separation in 1995 after rumors had made the round that Kenneth and Helenawere together.

The pair had been married since 1989. Speaking on the divorce, Emma said the experience helped her play the role of a woman whose husband was cheating on her in the movie "Love Actually."

She intimated that she knew how to interpret the role based on her feelings because she had gone through heartbreak and divorce. Amazingly, Emma said that while the divorce was painful, all that happened was blood under the bridge.

She added that all was fine between herself, Kenneth and Helena, as there was nothing to hold against the other parties. According to her, she and Helena made their peace many years ago.

LIFE AFTER THE DRAMA

Following the whole drama, all three have gone on to live their separate lives with excellent partners now. Emma married Greg Wise, whom she met on the set of "Sense and Sensibility."

At the time of their meeting, Greg thought Emma was married, and a psychic friend of his had told him he was going to meet his wife on set.

He had initially thought it was Kate Winslet and had begun to pursue an interest in her by inviting her to the Glastonbury music festival on a date.

After the date, he found out they had no underlying interest, which prompted Kate to introduce him to Emma. The two have been together since 2003 and have two children, Gaia, and an adopted son from Rwanda, Tindy Agaba.

On the other hand, Helena was linked to Tim Burton, and the pair were together from 2001 to 2014. They have two children together and opted to keep their split private and away from the media.

Although she claims that divorce is cruel, Helena gave love another chance by dating Rye Dag Holmboe. As for Kenneth, he fell in love with film art director Lindsay Brunnock on the set of the series "Shackleton."

In a twist of events, Helen had introduced them in 1997. They got married in 2003 after Lindsay gave him an ultimatum. The wedding took place quietly, with Kenneth's parents finding out over the phone the night before the wedding took place.