Jimmy Kimmel, the late-night TV host, took sharp jabs at Melania Trump’s documentary film “Melania” during his shows on Wednesday, January 28, and Thursday, January 29, scrutinizing various aspects from the guest list at the premiere to the predicted box office earnings of the film.
On his show on the 28th, Kimmel humorously likened the documentary to the Epstein Files, stating that “no one’s ever going to see them.”
The film, directed by Brett Ratner, premiered on Thursday night at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. The documentary, tracing Melania Trump prior to the 2025 inauguration, was released in movie theaters across the country on January 30.
During his late-night segment, Kimmel poked fun at the celebrities who attended the Kennedy Center premiere. “Not since The Terminator has there been this much excitement for a movie about a European cyborg,” Kimmel remarked on his show. He also shared his views on the attendees of the premiere and the film’s potential performance.
The premiere’s guest list comprised notable figures like Nicki Minaj, Dr. Phil, Pete Hegseth, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Eric Adams, Dr. Oz, and Todd and Julie Chrisley. However, mainstream media was not permitted to enter the event. Notably absent were most of Donald Trump’s children, including Barron Trump who is 19 and Ivanka.
Kimmel also scrutinized the film’s director, Brett Ratner, who was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017.
Kimmel repeatedly classified the film as a “corporate bribe” rather than a documentary, linking the Amazon deal directly to Trump’s political influence. He noted that Amazon “shelled out $40 million to make this movie and another $35 million to promote it, which is so much more than probably any documentary ever, but they want you to know that this had nothing to do with the fact that her husband is a petty, vengeful bloodsucker.” After quoting an Amazon spokesperson who claimed they licensed the film because they believed customers would love it, Kimmel responded with sarcasm, stating that the spokesperson “laughed and laughed until they had to carry her away.”
Financial investment in “Melania” has been significant. Amazon MGM Studios invested $40 million in the film and allocated an additional $35 million for marketing, totaling to $75 million. Despite such a hefty budget, initial box office forecasts were dismal. Analysts anticipated the film would gross between $1 million and $5 million during its opening weekend. The film’s estimated $7 million revenue surprised many.
Kimmel pointed out that Melania personally received $28 million from the licensing fee, jokingly remarking: “Between this and her marriage, she’s probably the highest-paid actress in the world.”
Early reviews of the film were largely negative, with critics labeling it as insubstantial. Independent critic Nick Hilton rated the documentary only one star.
Social media posts displayed screenings in nearly vacant theaters nationwide. In Los Angeles and Culver City, California, billboards advertising the film were vandalized by various individuals, including the artist group Indecline.
The production reportedly faced issues behind the scenes. The film was shot during an unusually short 20-day filming period. Crew members described the set as chaotic and disorganized, with two-thirds of the New York crew requesting that their names be removed from the project. This level of dissatisfaction among the crew indicates serious concerns about the final product or the production process itself.
The filming schedule of just 20 days is highly irregular for a documentary project, especially one with such a significant budget.
Even before its official theatrical release, the film had been review-bombed on Letterboxd.
As part of the promotional campaign, Melania Trump rang the opening bell at the NYSE, a high-profile appearance designed to generate interest in the documentary.
The involvement of Brett Ratner as director has been a controversial aspect of the project, particularly because he faced sexual misconduct allegations in 2017, although he was not charged and denied the allegations.
Even at the upper end of projections, a $7 million opening weekend would only recover a fraction of the studio’s investment.
Melania informed Fox News that both Trump and Barron had seen and liked the film, leading Kimmel to respond sarcastically, “All the people in the movie are giving it rave reviews. That’s enough for me!”