A New York Times reporter threatened to reveal one of Montel Williams' home addresses unless he cooperated with a story about Donald Trump, according to the political activist and former TV talk show host.

True fact: A @nytimes reporter threatened to publish my address if I didn't talk to him about this useless story 🙄. https://t.co/NWnQLzcKLl — Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) October 27, 2016



Attached to the message was a link to a Times story from Monday about Trump-branded apartment buildings in New York that are rebranding themselves in light of the brawling 2016 campaign.

The byline on the report belongs to Times reporter Charles V. Bagli, but Williams told the Washington Examiner that the reporter who was in contact with him and his representative was Times feature writer Jacob Bernstein. Williams has been critical of Trump's campaign and has said he will vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Private direct messages on Twitter obtained by the Examiner show Bernstein asking Williams, who lives in one of the Trump buildings, to cooperate with the story. In his initial Oct. 19 message to Williams, Bernstein said he's "working on a story about what effect Trump's presidential campaign is having on the residential buildings he owns in New York."

Williams directed Bernstein to his representative, Jonathan Franks. But Bernstein followed up with Williams to say he had been in touch with Franks but that "it's your voice I need."

"You're one of the most prominent politically minded people living in a Trump building," Bernstein said. He added that Trump has "become the leader of a movement that seems to many to be the modern day incarnation of the white power movement ..."

Williams replied to Bernstein that he will "pass" and said that the story is "a waste of time."

"Thanks for the input," said Bernstein.

In an email to the Examiner, Franks said he had a phone conversation with Bernstein about the story.

"On the phone, I asked him not to print which of the Trump buildings Montel Williams lives in," Franks said. "He then told me he'd be more likely to extend that courtesy if Montel gave an interview."

Franks said he argued with Bernstein for about 20 minutes about whether Williams was a "hypocrite" for opposing Trump's candidacy while still living in a Trump-branded building.

The Trump name is leased out to buildings throughout the U.S., though the candidate does not actually own them. Franks said that the particular building Williams lives in is not owned by Trump but that it merely bears his name.

"He's lived in various Trump buildings over the years," Franks said of Williams.

In an apparent follow-up email to Bernstein, shared with the Examiner, Franks said, "So, to be clear, [Williams] lives in a Trump building, he's lived in various Trump buildings over the years and at present, he hasn't contemplated moving. Printing his address won't be well received, but certainly, one is free to state the obvious — when in New York City, he lives in a building that bears Trump's name but is not owned by him."

Williams identifies as a conservative but is not a registered Republican. In the GOP primary, he endorsed Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Bernstein did not respond to a request for comment by the Examiner.