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Donald Trump criticized “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” director Chris Columbus on Wednesday for claiming in an interview that Trump bullied his way into the 1992 sequel.
On Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, the former U.S. president said that Columbus and the production team were “begging me to make a cameo appearance in ‘Home Alone 2.’”
“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,” Trump wrote. “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.”
[ Just how rich were the McCallisters in ‘Home Alone?’ ]
In a 2020 interview with Business Insider, Columbus recalled how he and his team “wanted to shoot in the lobby” of the Plaza because they “couldn’t rebuild” the New York hotel on a soundstage. They assumed they only needed to pay a fee to use the location, but Trump had another condition.
“‘The only way you can use the Plaza is if I’m in the movie,’” Columbus recalled Trump saying. “So we agreed to put him in the movie, and when we screened it for the first time the oddest thing happened: People cheered when Trump showed up on screen. 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.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” Trump responded to Columbus’ statement. “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!”