Jeff Bezos defended Amazon MGM Studios’ choice to release its Melania Trump documentary earlier this year as a “good business decision.”
The Amazon founder appeared on the Wednesday edition of CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” During the interview, he was asked about rumors that the decision to produce “Melania,” Amazon’s documentary about the First Lady, was done to “placate” President Trump. Bezos fervently pushed back against that.
“The ‘Melania’ thing is a falsehood that will not die,” Bezos said. “I see [it] reported all the time that somehow, I was involved in this.” The businessman, who stepped down as Amazon CEO in 2021 and serves currently as the company’s executive chairman, denied rumors that the documentary began with a conversation between him and the First Lady at Mar-a-Lago in 2024.
“It’s not true. We have denied it. Melania’s office has denied it. It’s not true. I had nothing to do with that,” Bezos insisted, adding, “By the way, it appears it was a good business decision. You know, 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, you know, it appears that the Amazon team made a very wise business decision,” Bezos continued, noting, “I also had nothing to do with ‘Project Hail Mary,’ which I regret because it’s an incredible success. I wish I had greenlit that. But I didn’t.”
Bezos subsequently returned to the notion that the documentary was made to curry favor within the Trump administration.
“This idea that, you know, that somehow that is a way of buying influence, it’s just not. It’s just not correct,” Bezos said, acknowledging, “I can see why people say this.”
Amazon reportedly paid $40 million to acquire “Melania,” as well as another $35 million on its marketing. When the Brett Ratner-directed doc hit theaters in late January, it grossed $16.6 million at the box office — an admittedly impressive haul for a documentary. It received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics.
Despite Bezos’ insistence otherwise, many have criticized him and Amazon for releasing “Melania,” including Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who called it “bribery in plain sight.” However, those at Amazon, including Bezos, have remained steadfast that the decision was not influenced by anything other than business and audience interest.
“We disagree with any suggestion that Amazon’s decision to license this film and accompanying series was improper. We regularly release documentaries that offer unique perspectives on cultural and historical figures across the political spectrum,” Amazon Vice President of Public Policy Brian Huseman said in a statement in March. “Amazon MGM Studios became the licensor of the film and accompanying series following a thorough and competitive bidding process.”
“‘Melania’ gave us the opportunity to tell a story that’s never been told before, with unprecedented access to a historic presidential transition through the perspective of the First Lady,” Huseman added at the time. “Our decision was based on the film and series itself — the access, the story, and its cultural and historical relevance.”
