Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • NYFW
    • Life In Plastic
    • Cari Champion
    • New Books
    • Postpartum Psychosis
    1. Politics

    A Former Contestant on 'The Apprentice' Says Donald Trump Sexually Assaulted Her

    She also said she felt she was penalized for not sleeping with him.

    Megan Friedman's avatar
    By Megan Friedman
    Published 14 October 2016 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Donald Trump, Summer Zervos
    (Image credit: Twitter / Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Restaurant owner Summer Zervos, who was a contestant on season five of The Apprentice, became the latest woman to come forward and claim Donald Trump sexually assaulted her. On Friday, she gave a press conference and read a lengthy statement detailing a painful encounter with the Republican presidential candidate at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

    Video: 'Apprentice' contestant Summer Zervos says Donald Trump sexually accosted her at the Beverly Hills Hotel https://t.co/DK3jLrpSbaOctober 14, 2016

    Zervos was the first contestant to be fired on her season, but she said that she still saw him as a potential employer and mentor after she left the show. In 2007, she went to New York and went to Trump's office, where he allegedly kissed her on the lips when she entered and when she left. She was uncomfortable, but friends and family said it was likely just how he greeted people. When they met, he apparently told her he'd love her to work at his company.

    Shortly after that meeting, he was in Los Angeles and invited her for dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel. According to Zervos, she was taken to a bungalow where Trump was waiting, and he greeted her with an open-mouthed kiss. She walked away and sat across the room, but complied when he asked her to sit next to him. "He then grabbed my shoulder and began kissing me very aggressively and placed his hand on my breast," she claimed. She said she pulled away, but Trump grabbed her hand and walked her to the bedroom to watch television.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    "He put me in an embrace and I tried to push him away," Zervos said. "I pushed his chest to put space between us and I said, 'Come on man, get real.' He repeated my words back to me, 'get real,' as he began thrusting his genitals." Zervos said he then tried to kiss her again. The two finally got to have dinner and talk business and personal finance. Later, he asked her to meet him the next morning at his golf course.

    "I was very conflicted as to what occurred," she wrote in her statement. "I wondered if the sexual behavior was some kind of test and whether or not I had passed." She went to the golf club, and Trump introduced her to a general manager, then left. She got a job offer there, but for half of what her salary requirements were. "I called Mr. Trump and told him that I was upset and that I felt that I was being penalized for not sleeping with him," Zervos said. "Mr. Trump said that he was golfing and could not discuss this at that time." He later told her to never use his private number again, and gave her "the run around" when it came to other jobs.

    You may like
    • writer e. jean rides in the back of a car wearing sunglasses and a sparkly buttoned up top in a still from the documentary ask e jean Streamers Were Afraid to Make 'Ask E. Jean.' Director Ivy Meeropol Never Was
    • A portrait of Jessica Tarlov seated outdoors in a teal pantsuit. Fox News’s Favorite Nasty Woman
    • Dannelle Davidson wears a wedding dress and veil while talking with Harry Jowsey (unseen) in the finale of Netflix's 'Let's Marry Harry.' 'Let's Marry Harry' Runner-Up Dannelle Davidson Has a Lot of Thoughts About That Shocking Finale

    In April of this year, Zervos said she tried to reconnect and confront Trump privately about the incident, but never received a reply. When reporters asked her why she decided to tell her story now, she said, "I want to be able to sleep when I'm 70 at night," according to The Hollywood Reporter. She does not want to sue him, but her attorney, Gloria Allred, says she has two witnesses who can vouch for the story.

    You can watch video of her accusations above, or see the printed statement below. Keep in mind that if you are a survivor of sexual assault yourself, the content may be triggering for you.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Summer Zervos statement about alleged @realdonaldtrump sexual harassment. pic.twitter.com/uWJWsuGZVIOctober 14, 2016

    Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.

    Explore More
    Donald Trump
    Megan Friedman
    Megan Friedman
    Social Links Navigation
    Editor

    Megan Friedman is the former managing editor of the Newsroom at Hearst. She's worked at NBC and Time, and is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism.

    Read more
    A portrait of Jessica Tarlov seated outdoors in a teal pantsuit.
    Politics Fox News’s Favorite Nasty Woman
    By Noor Ibrahim
    Dannelle Davidson wears a wedding dress and veil while talking with Harry Jowsey (unseen) in the finale of Netflix's 'Let's Marry Harry.'
    TV shows 'Let's Marry Harry' Runner-Up Dannelle Davidson Has a Lot of Thoughts About That Shocking Finale While fans wait for the reunion, the 33-year-old cocktail waitress is already spilling behind-the-scenes secrets.
    By Quinci LeGardye
     
     
    A photo of Nikki Ogunnaike with an inset photo of Jazzy Collins and text reading Money. Power. Style. Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike
    Culture How Do Problematic Contestants Keep Getting Cast on Reality TV? A Casting Director Explains Emmy-winning casting director Jazzy Collins answers a major reality TV question on the "Nice Talk" podcast.
    By Lia Beck
    A photo of Nikki Ogunnaike with an inset photo of Ariana Madix and text reading Money. Power. Style. Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike
    Culture Ariana Madix Is More Involved in 'Love Island USA' Than Viewers May Realize The reality star-turned-host pulls back the curtain on the "Nice Talk" podcast.
    By Lia Beck
     
     
    Latest in Politics
    collage of gloria Steinem
    Politics Gloria Steinem "Passes Away Peacefully" at 92
    Black-and-white three-panel collage of mothers holding and cuddling their babies.
    Politics We Asked Women to Share Private Texts, Searches, and Notes From Their Darkest Postpartum Days
     
     
    A portrait of Jessica Tarlov seated outdoors in a teal pantsuit.
    Politics Fox News’s Favorite Nasty Woman
    lisitng
    Politics Anti-Trans Legislation Isn't About "Protecting Girls"—It's About Distracting Us From What Matters
     
     
    Latest in News
    King Harald and Queen Sonja standing with Princess Astrid in a wheelchair
    Royals The Norwegian Royal Family Suffers Another Major Family Death
    Photos of Jordyn Woods's New York Fashion Week fitting for the Tommy Hilfiger Spring 2027 show
    Celebrity Style Jordyn Woods’s Tommy Hilfiger NYFW Show Outfit Was an “Ode to New York”
     
     
    A model on the DVF Spring 2027 runway at New York Fashion Week.
    Fashion Henry Zankov Puts the DVF Woman Back in "Motion"
    collage of the best celebrity looks at the Spring/Summer 2027 season of New York Fashion Week
    Celebrity Style New York Fashion Week Is Back—and So Are the Cool-Girl Celebrity Outfits
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.