Tom Arnold, who is working on a show about his search for the Donald Trump tapes from his time on “The Apprentice,” had a confrontation with producer Mark Burnett on Sunday night, according to social media posts.
Arnold took to Twitter to accuse the former “Apprentice” producer of “choking him at this huge Emmy party.” Burnett’s wife, Roma Downey, later posted a picture that she said showed a bruise on her left hand from the confrontation.
“Got this bruise tonight when Tom Arnold tried to ambush my husband Mark and me at a charity event. Is your TV show worth it Tom? Please stop,” she posted. Arnold responded to the tweet that he is filing a police report and “suing you for defamation.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, it was unclear what event was being referenced, but the “Evening Before” fundraiser occurred Sunday night, and Burnett has been known to attend.
The LAPD could not be reached by the Reporter or Fox News late Sunday. Burnett has not publicly responded to Arnold, the report said. A call early Monday to his office went to voicemail.
Burnett did not tweet about the purported encounter.
Matthew Belloni, editorial director of The Hollywood Reporter, tweeted that he spoke to Arnold’s attorney, who called the confrontation an “unprovoked attack” by Burnett. Arnold claims to have a witness.
Vice announced that Arnold would be featured in a new show called “The Hunt for the Trump Tapes” and would investigate rumored recordings of the president.
The eight-episode series follows Arnold as he searches for rumored recordings of Trump that are said to be potentially damaging. He interviews stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Penn Jillette, Judd Apatow and Rosie O’Donnell, as well as former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.
Arnold has claimed that Trump has used the N-word and is “obviously a racist,” adding that the president’s take on the NFL is because “he doesn’t like black guys.”
Arnold has been focused on Burnett, who is behind successful series such as “Shark Tank” and “The Bible.”
“I am going to keep hammering Mark Burnett until he shows America [the tapes],” Arnold said at the Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour in July. “He sits next to Donald Trump and gives him cover and he never says one word. People are at the border. They are getting their kids snatched from them. It’s cruel … and Mark Burnett says he’s a Christian.”