Jeff Bezos Stands Firm: Amazon Will Stream Melania Trump Documentary
Jeff Bezos is swatting down the persistent myth that he engineered Amazon’s deal for Melania Trump’s eponymous documentary, saying he had no role in the acquisition — though he supports it — during a May 20 appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Pod.
If you were hoping Jeff Bezos personally rubber-stamped Amazon buying the Melania Trump documentary, he says that is absolutely not what happened. He also says, for the record, the deal worked out just fine anyway.
What Bezos actually said
On CNBC's "Squawk Pod" on Wednesday, May 20, Bezos, 62, pushed back on the persistent rumor that he had a hand in acquiring "Melania."
"The Melania thing is a falsehood that will not die... I had nothing to do with that."
He acknowledged he keeps seeing his name tied to the decision and called it wrong. He also gave the team some credit, saying the buy turned out to be a smart business call that performed well in theaters and on streaming. His bigger point: Amazon is massive and makes a lot of decisions that never cross his desk, and this was one of them. As for the idea that the deal was about buying influence, he said he understands why people might jump to that conclusion, but he rejected it.
Where the rumor started, and what the people involved say actually happened
- The chatter: Reports claimed Amazon shelled out around $75 million to license and promote "Melania" as a favor to President Donald Trump. There was also a story that Melania, 56, personally pitched Bezos during a 2024 dinner hosted by President Trump, 79, at Mar-a-Lago.
- The pushback: Producer Marc Beckman — who also serves as Melania's senior advisor — told Page Six back in January that Bezos was not involved in negotiations at all. No calls, no meetings, nothing.
- The dinner detail, clarified: Beckman says the only moment touching the film at that family meal was Melania mentioning to Bezos that Beckman was already talking to Amazon's executive leadership. According to Beckman, Bezos didn't know about the project or the ongoing talks, and that dinner was not where any dealmaking happened.
- How the deal actually came together: Beckman says he initiated with someone in Amazon's executive leadership — not Bezos — and that he was impressed by Amazon's team, their vision, and their film experience, which helped seal the agreement.
So, how did "Melania" do?
The documentary, released in January, reportedly made just over $16 million worldwide. Bezos says the performance was strong both theatrically and on streaming. The film itself tracks Melania during the 20 days leading up to her husband's inauguration and is directed by Brett Ratner.
Bottom line: Bezos says he wasn't involved, the producer backs that up, and Amazon's team got a hot-button documentary that sparked headlines and, by their account, pulled its weight.