Beckman Defends Documentary Amid Music Controversy
Mark Beckman, a long-time advisor to Melania Trump, has responded to claims made by director Paul Thomas Anderson and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood regarding the use of music in the documentary Melania. They allege that the film used music from Phantom Thread in breach of a composer’s contract.
“That’s an outright lie,” Beckman stated during a phone interview. “We have the legal right and permission to use all the songs and music in the film. We did everything the right way. We followed the protocols. We respect the artists. We compensated everyone for their music.”
In a statement published by Variety, Anderson and Greenwood said:
It turns out that Phantom Thread’s music is being used in the Melania documentary. Although Jonny Greenwood does not own the copyright to the score, Universal did not consult Jonny about this third-party use, which was a violation of his composer agreement. As a result, Johnny and Paul Thomas Anderson requested that the film be removed from the documentary.
Beckman strongly disagrees with their assessment. “We have legally binding and fully executed contracts for the use of all songs,” he remarked, calling the situation “just ridiculous.”
He also noted that he hadn’t been contacted by either Mrs. Trump or her campaign, and expressed disappointment that news outlets covering the story didn’t reach out for his side. “It’s unfortunate that none of them contacted anyone in our campaign to confirm whether their reporting was factually correct,” he explained. “If journalism continues to move in this direction, it will lose its influence and importance in our democracy.”
In a more positive light, Beckman shared that the documentary has performed well in theaters, revealing that sales exceeded $13 million during its second weekend. “I’m very happy with how the movie did,” he said, noting the audience’s warm reception. “Theaters continue to be packed. Audiences continue to applaud at the end of movies.”
According to estimates from Amazon MGM Studios, Melania grossed $2.37 million in North American theaters during its second week. Additionally, the film maintains a remarkable 99 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
