As he promised, Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against Univision, to the tune of $500 million. The suit follows the network’s decision last week to cut its business ties with Trump, including not airing the Miss USA pageant July 12, following Trump’s comments about the U.S. relationship with Mexico.
Trump said he also plans to sue NBC which cut ties with Trump Monday. NBC has already decided to replace the pageant with its summer series American Ninja Warrior.
“As a consequence of their inappropriate actions, Univision and NBC have abandoned 51 wonderful young women who have come from all over the United States to pursue their dream of being crowned Miss USA,” Trump said. “Their participation in this globally renowned pageant has come at great cost and after years of sacrifice and hard work. NBC and Univision have wronged them greatly.” The pageant will go on, the organization says, but a TV home has not yet been found.
Before ending its relationship, Trump says a Univision executive called him and apologized. But in a note to his staff Monday, Univision president Randy Falco denies that. “I can also assure you that we never apologized because we have nothing to apologize for,” Falco wrote. “I made the decision to end business relationships with the Trump Organization simply because it was the right thing to do. No one approached me, asked me or pressured me to take this action.”