A documentary focusing on First Lady Melania Trump is set to debut at the recently renamed Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The new name incorporates Donald J. Trump’s name alongside John F. Kennedy’s. The choice of venue for the documentary’s premiere has stirred immediate controversy due to the contentious renaming of the center and its ongoing operational issues.
The documentary, helmed by Brett Ratner and produced by Amazon MGM Studios, provides an inside view of Melania Trump’s experiences in the 20 days leading up to the 2025 presidential inauguration. A trailer, released on December 18, 2025, features the first lady in the U.S. Capitol rotunda on inauguration day, saying to the camera, “Here we go again.”
In a statement provided by Amazon, Melania Trump characterized the documentary as an intimate, unfiltered glimpse into her life as she balances family, business, and philanthropy on her path to becoming the first lady of the United States.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt voiced her anticipation for the project on social media, exclaiming, “I am so excited for this!”
The premiere date is not yet announced, but the documentary is slated for a global theatrical release on January 30, 2026, followed by streaming on Prime Video. A three-part docuseries will be released after the theatrical debut.
The venue choice has heightened existing debates around both the Kennedy Center and the documentary’s director. The center’s board of trustees unanimously agreed to rename the center. However, legal experts and Democratic lawmakers have argued that congressional approval is necessary to change the name of the federally established memorial. Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio initiated a legal challenge against the legality of the name change, potentially instigating a legal dispute over the board’s authority.
The Kennedy Center has been grappling with operational issues of late. Artists have experienced payment delays, and the scheduled performance of “Hamilton” was cancelled. Similarly, folk singer Kristy Lee called off her planned performance due to the recent upheavals at the venue, and a New Year’s Eve concert by the Cookers, a jazz group, was cancelled.
There were significant changes in the board, with 18 members being dismissed before new appointments were made. The Kennedy Center was established by Congress in 1964 as a living memorial to President Kennedy.
Ratner’s appointment as director has also come under scrutiny. In 2017, Ratner was accused of sexual misconduct by six women, including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge. Ratner denied these allegations, but his career in Hollywood was halted following the accusations.
Ratner was seen in photographs from the Jeffrey Epstein files, released by the Department of Justice on December 19, 2025, alongside Jean-Luc Brunel, the late French model agent and Epstein associate. Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most prominent accusers, asserted in a lawsuit that she had sex with Brunel as a minor on several occasions.
Following the release of the trailer, Joy Behar of “The View” remarked on the director selection, stating, “If he had somebody direct it who didn’t have a record in some kind of sexual assault, I would be surprised. I mean, this tracks.”
The documentary marks Ratner’s reentry into filmmaking after a hiatus from the industry. Amazon plans to launch the film exclusively in theaters before making it available on its streaming platform, a distribution approach becoming less common for streaming-backed productions.
The venue’s official branding now reads The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on its website and building signage. Workers were seen adding Trump’s name to the building’s exterior after the board’s vote.
The release of the documentary aligns with Melania Trump’s second term as first lady, a role she resumed after the January 20, 2025, presidential inauguration. The film promises exclusive access to meetings, private discussions, and environments typically off-limits to cameras during the intense transition period.
Amazon MGM Studios has made a significant investment in the project, marking it as one of its most notable documentary acquisitions.
The combination of the renamed venue, the politically charged subject matter, and the controversial director has sparked a significant controversy around the premiere, which is expected to attract media attention and protests in Washington, D.C.