Two-thirds of the crew members who worked on Melania Trump’s new movie do not want their names associated with the project, a new report claims.
The controversial behind-the-scenes Amazon documentary, titled simply Melania, follows the First Lady in the 20 days leading up to her husband’s 2025 inauguration. It was directed by disgraced filmmaker Brett Ratner, who was publicly accused of sexual harassment and assault by six women in 2017. The Rush Hour filmmaker has denied any wrongdoing.
According to a new report in Rolling Stone, which cites multiple anonymous sources who worked on the film, the majority of the New York-based crew asked to be left off the credits.
A person whose work was credited told the outlet that they regretted putting their name on the film, saying: “I’m much more alarmed now than I was a year ago.”
The White House did not return The Independent’s request for comment.
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Other crew members said that the worst part of working on the First Lady’s Amazon MGM documentary had nothing to do with the president or the politics involved — but instead came from sharing a set with Ratner.
“I feel a little bit uncomfortable with the propaganda element of this,” a member of the production team told Rolling Stone. “But Brett Ratner was the worst part of working on this project.”
Melania is the first movie Ratner has made since Hercules in 2014.
Insiders told the outlet that Ratner’s Melania set was chaotic and disorganized, with crew members often working long hours and being forced to work without meal breaks. The director was also accused of leaving trash everywhere and being dismissive to his employees.
“There was more talk about Brett being slimy than there was about Melania,” a production team member told the outlet about Ratner, who is also slated to direct a new installment in the Rush Hour franchise on the president’s personal request.
While Ratner made terrible impressions on set, crew members reported that the First Lady was “boring” and “nice.”
A spokesperson for Amazon told Rolling Stone: “We licensed the film for one reason and one reason only – because we think customers are going to love it.” Amazon did not immediately return The Independent’s request for comment.
Amazon reportedly spent $75 million to acquire and promote the new movie, although CNN polling analyst Harry Enten estimates the documentary will earn between just $1 million and $5 million during its opening weekend.
“Unfortunately, if it does flop, I would really feel great about it,” a crew member told Rolling Stone.
After the White House held a private screening for the movie earlier this week, Melania will premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Thursday and open in theaters worldwide Friday.
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