LOS ANGELES _ Mark Burnett, the producer whose show "The Apprentice" made Donald Trump a television star, disavowed the presidential candidate, calling his campaign misogynistic and hateful.
The producer, who has been under pressure in recent days to release footage that might reveal more unflattering words from Trump, said Wednesday in a statement that he has never supported the candidate. MGM Holdings Inc., which bought Burnett's TV company last year, said it controls the rights to the program and has a duty to respect artists' confidentiality.
Trump, who is also a producer on the reality series, has been the focus of a hunt for more evidence of the candidate's off-camera behavior after The Washington Post publicized video recordings that revealed the real estate magnate boasting that he forced himself on women. Burnett, who created the show, has faced calls from women's rights advocates to release unseen footage from the TV show.
"I am not now and have never been a supporter of Donald Trump's candidacy," Burnett said in the emailed statement. "My wife and I reject the hatred, division and misogyny that has been a very unfortunate part of his campaign."
In the statement, MGM's lawyer said the studio would honor its agreements with artists from "The Apprentice" relating to confidentiality and artist's rights.
