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Donald Trump, the former US president and businessman, has denied claims by the director of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Chris Columbus, that he bullied his way into the movie. The former US president clarified on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the film’s production team was the one who begged him to cameo in the film. He said,
"They rented the Plaza hotel in New York, which I owned at the time. I was very busy, and didn’t want to do it. They were very nice, but above all, persistent. I agreed, and the rest is history! That little cameo took off like a rocket and the movie was a big success, and still is, especially around Christmas time. People call me whenever it is aired."
The 1992 comedy Home Alone 2 made $359m (£280m) and was the third-highest-grossing film of 1992, as per BBC. Netizens have joked about the business mogul denying the accusations, saying the cameo was not as popular as he believed.
Donald Trump insists he didn’t bully his way into Home Alone 2 despite director's claims
Donald Trump made a brief appearance in the 1992 film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York in a scene filmed at the Plaza Hotel, which he owned at the time. The movie's child protagonist, Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, asked the former President where the lobby of the hotel was and Trump in turn replied,
"Down the hall, and to the left."
He then keeps walking and turns to see the little boy walking in the direction. The simple cameo had surfaced in 2020, when the movie's director Chris Columbus, told Business Insider that Trump’s scene was a condition of being able to film inside the Plaza hotel, on top of the usual fee, as per The Guardian. Columbus reportedly said,
"We paid the fee, but he also said, ‘The only way you can use the Plaza is if I’m in the movie. So we agreed to put him in the movie. So I said to my editor, ‘Leave him in the movie. It’s a moment for the audience.’ But he did bully his way into the movie."
The director recalled that the audience "cheered" when Donald Trump was shown in screenings. The business mogul disagreed with Columbus's alleged interpretation of the incident. When Business Insider published a report on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, rehashing the interview, the former President posted on Truth Social saying,
"Nothing could be further from the truth. That cameo helped make the movie a success, but if they felt bullied, or didn’t want me, why did they put me in, and keep me there, for over 30 years? Because I was, and still am, great for the movie, that’s why! Just another Hollywood guy from the past looking for a quick fix of Trump publicity for himself!"
Donald Trump's alleged bragging did not go unnoticed by fans of the movie and other netizens who claimed the cameo was not as memorable.
The Home Alone films are a comedy Christmas franchise, popular all over the world. In the movies, Macaulay Culkin plays a young boy who is accidentally abandoned by his family and has to battle burglars played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, as per The New York Post.
Donald Trump has made dozens of cameo appearances in TV series and movie productions including S*x and the City, Zoolander, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, and Two Weeks Notice, according to BBC.
