First Lady Melania Trump will be the star of a new documentary early next year, directed by disgraced “Rush Hour” director Brett Ratner, who faced sexual assault allegations back in 2017. But, for “The View” host Joy Behar, it makes total sense that Ratner was the choice.
As part of the day’s Hot Topics, the ABC hosts all largely agreed that they wouldn’t be paying money to see “Melania” in theaters next month, but are considering watching it when the film hits streaming. Whoopi Goldberg was the outlier, noting that she’s simply not interested in the movie. But Alyssa Farah Griffin also had some hesitation about watching it, specifically because of Ratner’s involvement.
“If he had somebody direct it who didn’t have a record in some kind of sexual assault, I would be surprised,” Joy Behar retorted. “I mean, this tracks.”
Behar was, of course, referring to Trump’s own history with sexual harassment charges, in which he was found liable for sexual battery and has faced many more allegations.
For Farah Griffin, it was an odd choice to knowingly have Melania Trump associated with Ratner.
“I wouldn’t, if I was a staffer, put the First Lady in the position of working with somebody who had that history,” she said. “I just think it’s a distraction from it. That, to me, makes me a little on the cusp of even if I even want to watch the work.”
Host Sara Haines argued that Ratner’s history might be exactly why the Trumps picked him to direct — as evidence that Trump will “un-cancel” anybody who shows him loyalty. It’s worth noting that, late last month, Semafor reported that Trump urged Paramount-Skydance owner David Ellison to release another “Rush Hour” film, and those talks are in progress.
