Actor Robert De Niro has spoken out against former President Donald Trump on several occasions.
On Monday, a speech from De Niro at an awards show was supposed to have comments from the actor on Trump once again, but he claims he was censored.
What Happened: De Niro, who starred in "Killers of the Flower Moon," was at the Gotham Awards on Monday night to help introduce the Historical Icon and Creator Tribute award for the film.
As shared by The Hollywood Reporter, De Niro was set to introduce the award and looked confused as he realized his prepared comments had been edited.
"History isn't history anymore. Truth isn't truth, and even facts are being replaced by alternative facts and driven by conspiracy theories and ugliness," De Niro said. "In Florida, young students are taught that slaves developed skills that could be applied for their personal benefit."
De Niro insisted on reading his prepared speech while on stage, which included insults against Trump.
"Lying has become just another tool in the charlatan's arsenal. The former president lied to us more than 30,000 times during his four years in office, and he's keeping up the pace with his current campaign of retribution. With all of his lies, he can't hide his soul."
De Niro also said Trump has been disrespectful to Native Americans, mentioning his "Pocahontas" nickname for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, which is used by the former president as a slur.
The actor then appeared to blame Apple Inc AAPL, who distributed the film, for censoring his speech.
"I'm gonna say these things, but to Apple and thank them and all that, Gothams, blah, blah, blah, Apple. But I don't feel like thanking them at all after what they did. How dare they do that, actually?"
Apple did not respond to a request for comment from The Hollywood Reporter.
Why It's Important: The Martin Scorsese-directed "Killers of the Flower Moon" is one of the biggest bets by Apple ever in the entertainment space and was released in theaters before it will hit the AppleTV+ streaming platform.
The movie grossed $65.7 million domestically and $151.9 million worldwide according to BoxOfficeMojo.
"Killers of the Flower Moon" could be a staple at future award shows and Apple and the movie's team will likely have to decide how much they want De Niro to be involved given his comments.
De Niro previously shouted "F*** Trump" at the 2018 Tony Awards according to the report.
Benzinga previously reported on an October speech from De Niro where he criticized the former president as an "evil one."
"Democracy won't survive the return of a wannabe dictator," De Niro said in a statement that was read at The New Republic's Stop Trump Summit.
"He's a wannabe tough guy with no morals or ethics."
Trump continued to be the frontrunner candidate for the Republican nomination for president from the Republican party ahead of the 2024 election.
Read Next: 2024 Presidential Election Betting Odds: Trump The Favorite, A Look At Where Others Stand
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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