Bezos Defends Amazon’s “Melania” Documentary
Jeff Bezos, the founder and executive chairman of Amazon, spoke out about the company’s documentary film, “Melania,” calling it “a very wise business decision.” However, he made it clear that he wasn’t personally involved in its production.
In an interview with CNBC on Wednesday, Bezos brushed aside rumors suggesting he collaborated with the Trump family to create the documentary focused on First Lady Melania Trump. Amazon had acquired the film, which explores the lead-up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration from her viewpoint, for $40 million, plus a marketing budget of about $35 million.
While there has been speculation that Bezos played a role in brokering the deal, he insisted that such claims are completely false.
“The ‘Melania’ thing is a falsehood that will not die,” Bezos remarked. “I see it reported all the time that somehow I was involved in this… I had nothing to do with that.”
Despite his lack of involvement, Bezos expressed appreciation for his team’s contributions to the project’s success.
“I can see why people say this. We have denied it. Melania’s office has denied it. It’s not true,” he reiterated. “By the way, it appears it was a good business decision. It did very well in theaters. It’s done very well on streaming. People are very curious about Melania. So even though I had nothing to do with it, it appears that the Amazon team made a very wise business decision.”
Bezos stepped down as Amazon’s CEO in 2021. In March, Amazon’s vice president of public policy, Brian Huseman, also rejected claims from lawmakers that the acquisition of the film was a form of bribery.
“We disagree with any suggestion that Amazon’s decision to license this film and accompanying series was improper. We regularly release documentaries that offer unique perspectives on cultural and historical figures across the political spectrum,” Huseman stated.
He also explained, “Amazon MGM Studios became the licensor of the film and accompanying series following a thorough and competitive bidding process. Melania gave us the opportunity to tell a story that’s never been told before, with unprecedented access to a historic presidential transition through the perspective of the First Lady. Our decision was based on the film and series itself — the access, the story, and its cultural and historical relevance.”
In a broader context, Bezos shared his thoughts on President Trump during his second term, acknowledging he would be willing to collaborate with him as he would with any other leader.
“I think he is a more mature, more disciplined version of himself than he was in his first term,” Bezos commented. “Again, I’ve worked with all the presidents, I will work with all the presidents… and I hope to do that going forward if they’ll have me, but we need our business leaders to provide input into the administration, regardless of who the president is.”
He added, “He’s been right about a lot of things, and you have to give him credit where credit is due.”
