Stallone Says Trump Named Him Hollywood Ambassador Without Consent

Sylvester Stallone said he was blindsided when President Donald Trump named him, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight as special ambassadors to Hollywood, a role intended to help bring film and television production back to the United States. Stallone said he never agreed to the appointment and would have declined if consulted, calling the assignment “impossible” because Hollywood’s major studios operate as separate corporate “kingdoms.” He said he told Trump “thank you and ciao,” while noting that Gibson and Voight also tend to operate independently. The responsibilities of the position were never clearly defined, although Trump has since discussed film and television tax incentives with Voight, and Gibson has proposed a U.S.-Italy co-production initiative. Stallone has previously expressed strong support for Trump, despite his objections to the ambassadorship.