‘Miami Vice’ Star Don Johnson Says Trump Tricked Him Into a Deal, Then Ripped Him Off

An interview with actor Don Johnson is prompting fresh reactions to his account of a business arrangement with Donald Trump that went sideways.

The “Miami Vice” star recalled the episode as a routine business matter rather than a personal dispute. Johnson explained that the arrangement dated back to the 1980s, when he was actively involved in offshore boat racing and celebrity sponsorships were common.

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Johnson didn’t sound bitter or animated when he revisited the story in 2019 during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

He claimed the then-real estate developer wanted the Trump Castle name placed prominently on Johnson’s racing boat.

The “Rebel Ridge” star agreed to the deal, carried out the branding as requested, and increased the visibility of the name, but said the financial terms were never fully satisfied.

“Most of my friends were sponsors on this boat, and Trump — who wanted to be on the boat— said, ‘I wanna be on the boat. Let me give you some sponsorship money.’ I said, ‘Sure, these things are expensive,’” Johnson recalled during his appearance, which originally aired on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in May 2025.

“So I took the sponsorship money. He made me make his name bigger, and then he stiffed me on the money,” he added.

The late-night comic immediately leaned into irony, replying, “Ohh, he’s right. That doesn’t sound like him at all.”

Kimmel then suggested, “You should sue,” and even floated the idea of taking the matter to Judge Judy.

The audience’s laughter suggested recognition rather than surprise, and the moment landed as familiar rather than explosive.

The clip resurfaced online on Celebrities Against Trump and reframed Johnson’s recollection as part of a much larger conversation. Commenters quickly widened the focus beyond a single deal.

“Don knew exactly how much he stiffed him but held his tongue!” one person wrote.

Another added, “What a gentleman, he didn’t mention the dollar amount.”

A third pushed the discussion outward: “One of many Trump never paid — ask the NY and NJ people who lost their companies.”

Others echoed the same sentiment with comments like “So many celebs have stories of how Trump lied or cheated them out of money” and “A lifetime of evidence of being a conman.”

One final reaction summed up the mood bluntly: “As usual doesn’t pay anyone.”

The renewed attention arrived alongside ongoing public discussion of Trump’s legal history, which many commenters referenced while reacting to Johnson’s story.

A New York jury convicted Trump on 34 counts related to falsifying business records, a case centered on disguising payments through misleading entries. While the circumstances differ sharply from a decades-old sponsorship agreement, critics online treated Johnson’s account as a low-stakes example of behavior they believe has shown up repeatedly. The seriousness of the conviction contrasted with Johnson’s calm delivery, sharpening the public response.

As the clip continued to circulate, Johnson’s story was one of many other celebrity recollections that have resurfaced over time.

Actress Candice Bergen has previously revisited an awkward college-era date with Trump, recalling a carefully coordinated appearance, an early end to the evening, and an impression that stayed with her. Retold years later on television with distance and humor, the story has repeatedly reappeared during moments when Trump’s past draws renewed scrutiny.

Similarly, Emma Thompson has spoken about an unexpected phone call she received in the late 1990s while working on a film. The timing of the call, which coincided with a personal transition in her life, left her unsettled and raised questions about boundaries and access.

Over time, her account has been folded into the broader archive of stories revisited whenever attention turns to Trump’s earlier years around the entertainment world.

What links these accounts is not spectacle or outrage, but restraint. Memory of young Trump before his political life shows the world his true character before his MAGA mania and propaganda.

Johnson did not frame himself as wronged, did not demand accountability, and did not dramatize the moment. He simply described what happened and allowed the audience to interpret it for themselves. That approach is likely why the resurfaced clip continues to resonate.

Johnson’s calm recollection, amplified by social media and set against years of similar stories and public records, gives the claim weight without theatrics. The video doesn’t shout. It lingers.