Jimmy Kimmel, a late-night talk-show host, had some harsh words about “Melania,” a documentary film about Melania Trump, on his show on January 28 and 29. His criticism included everything from the guest list at the premiere to the film’s potential box office performance.
Kimmel drew parallels between the documentary and the Jeffrey Epstein Files on the January 28 show, jokingly noting that both would likely go unseen by the general public.
Prior to the Kennedy Center premiere, Melania Trump hosted a private White House screening on January 24-25 with approximately 70 VIP guests, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, boxer Mike Tyson, Queen Rania of Jordan, and the couple’s son Barron Trump. Guests were treated to commemorative popcorn boxes and branded cookies while a military band played “Melania’s Waltz,” composed specially for the film. It follows Melania Trump’s life before the 2025 inauguration and was released nationwide in theaters on January 30.
Kimmel took some time during his show to mock the celebrities who attended the premiere at the Kennedy Center. He compared the anticipation for the film to that of a movie about a European cyborg, and also commented on the attendees and the film’s prospects.
The premiere’s guest list included personalities like rapper Nicki Minaj, television personality Dr. Phil, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, and reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley. Most mainstream media outlets were not invited to attend the event, though Fox News had red carpet access. Donald Trump’s children, Barron Trump, Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and Tiffany Trump were notably absent, though Donald Trump Jr. attended with his fiancée, Bettina Anderson.
According to Kimmel, Amazon MGM Studios invested a total of $75 million in “Melania”—$40 million for production and another $35 million for marketing—much more than what is typically spent on documentaries, suggesting it was linked to Melania’s husband’s political power.
Initial box office projections were low, with predictions ranging from $1 million to $5 million for the opening weekend. The film surprisingly generated an estimated $7 million in revenue, which marked the highest opening for a non-concert documentary in over a decade—the best performance since Disney’s Chimpanzee earned $10.7 million in 2012.
Kimmel pointed out that Melania received $28 million from the licensing fee, jokingly suggesting that she might be the highest-paid actress in the world.
The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics. Film critic Nick Hilton gave the documentary one star, and the film scored just 11% on Rotten Tomatoes’ critic ratings. However, it showed a stark divide with audiences, and earned a 99% verified audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A” grade from CinemaScore—one of the widest critic-audience gaps in recent documentary history.
Reports on social media showed that screenings were held in nearly empty theaters nationwide. In Los Angeles and Culver City, California, billboards advertising the film were vandalized by various people, including the artist collective Indecline.
Production of the film was troubled. It was shot over a condensed 20-day period—unusually short for a documentary with such a large budget—and crew members described the set as chaotic. Two-thirds of the New York crew asked for their names to be removed from the project, indicating their dissatisfaction with the production process.
The film was review-bombed on Letterboxd before its official release in theaters.
Melania Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as part of the film’s promotional campaign.
Director Brett Ratner’s involvement in the project was controversial due to sexual misconduct allegations against him in 2017. He was not charged and has denied these allegations.
At the Kennedy Center premiere, Donald Trump told reporters the film was “really great,” prompting Kimmel to sarcastically respond, “All the people in the movie are giving it rave reviews. That’s enough for me!”