Jeff Bezos has described Amazon's controversial documentary on Melania Trump as “a good business decision”, while insisting he had no personal involvement in the project.
In an interview with CNBC, the Amazon founder and executive chairman rejected claims that he engineered the deal, saying “The Melania thing is a falsehood that will not die.” He added that he had “nothing to do with that” and that while it was “just not correct” to say the purchase was an attempt to curry favour with the administration, “I can see why people say this.”
The film, directed by Brett Ratner and released without a press screening in January, was acquired for $40m, with Melania reportedly receiving $28m and a further $35m spent on marketing. It made $16.7m worldwide, failing to recoup its budget. Nevertheless, Bezos said: “It did very well in theatres. It's done very well on streaming. People are very curious about Melania.”
The film drew criticism from Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who described it as part of “an apparent pay-to-play arrangement with the Trump administration” and raised questions about Amazon's exposure under federal anti-bribery law. Amazon denied any bribery, saying the film had “cultural and historical relevance.”
The Guardian's Xan Brooks awarded the film zero stars, calling it “a gilded trash remake of Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest.” Bezos, who attended the inauguration, said the Amazon team had made “a very wise business decision.” Ratner has since joined President Trump on a visit to China to scout locations for Rush Hour 4, a film the president reportedly intervened to ensure Paramount would make.
