Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder and executive chairman, has defended the company's controversial Melania documentary as 'a good business decision' while denying any personal involvement in the project. In an interview with CNBC this week, Bezos addressed the $40 million film, which follows the former first lady in the period before Donald Trump's second inauguration.
Bezos Denies Personal Role
Bezos rejected claims that he engineered the deal, stating: 'The Melania thing is a falsehood that will not die.' He added: 'I see it reported all the time that somehow I was involved in this,' but clarified that 'I had nothing to do with that.' The billionaire also attended the inauguration but insisted the film purchase was not a way to curry favour with the administration, though he acknowledged: 'I can see why people say this.'
Financial Performance
The documentary, directed by Brett Ratner—who has faced multiple accusations of sexual misconduct—was released in January without press screenings. It earned $16.7 million worldwide, failing to recoup its budget. Melania herself reportedly received $28 million from the deal, with Amazon spending an additional $35 million on marketing. Despite the box office shortfall, Bezos claimed: 'By the way, it appears it was a good business decision. It did very well in theaters. It's done very well on streaming. People are very curious about Melania. So even though I had nothing to do with it, it appears that the Amazon team made a very wise business decision.' However, no public data has been released to support the streaming success.
Political Criticism
The deal drew sharp criticism from Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who described it as part of 'an apparent pay-to-play arrangement with the Trump administration.' She questioned Amazon's exposure under federal anti-bribery law, given the company's pursuit of favourable treatment from the administration while paying a far-above-market sum for the Trump family film. Amazon responded by denying any bribery accusations, arguing the film had 'cultural and historical relevance.'
Critical Reception
The Guardian's Xan Brooks gave the documentary a zero-star review, calling it 'a gilded trash remake of Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest.' Meanwhile, director Brett Ratner recently joined President Trump on a visit to China to scout locations for 'Rush Hour 4,' the latest instalment in his action comedy franchise. Trump reportedly intervened last year to ensure Paramount would produce the film.
