Amazon founder Jeff Bezos pushed back on claims that Amazon MGM’s roughly $40 million acquisition of the documentary “Melania”—directed by Brett Ratner and later released on Prime Video—was intended to curry favor with President Donald Trump. Speaking May 20 o
Jeff Bezos took to CNBC to confront a theory he says won’t go away.
On May 20. speaking on “Squawk Box. ” the Amazon founder rejected allegations that Amazon MGM Studios acquired and released the documentary “Melania” to help President Donald Trump politically. Bezos called the idea “a falsehood that will not die. ” and said. “I had nothing to do with that.” He added that claims of political motivation behind the deal are “just not correct. ” even as he acknowledged he understands why critics have raised questions about the timing and size of the investment.
Amazon MGM’s “Melania” deal has become a flashpoint for Democratic scrutiny. The documentary was directed by Brett Ratner and acquired in a reported $40 million acquisition. Amazon MGM also reportedly spent an additional $35 million on marketing. bringing total costs to roughly $75 million. according to reporting from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
The pushback from lawmakers has focused on whether the scale and selection process for the film could raise federal ethics and anti-bribery concerns. Democratic leaders including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia questioned whether the deal complied with federal anti-bribery laws. They also pointed to the reported size of Amazon MGM’s bid—saying it exceeded competing offers. including one from The Walt Disney Company—and argued the purchase raised questions about potential political influence.
Amazon has denied wrongdoing. The company has said the project went through a competitive process and was selected based on its content and audience appeal.
Bezos, in his remarks, returned to the company’s business reasoning and criticized the premise behind the accusations. He reiterated that Amazon’s entertainment decisions are made without political consideration and argued that claims of “buying influence” don’t match how the company operates.
He also cited audience interest as a key justification for the acquisition. “Melania” opened to about $8 million at the box office and went on to gross roughly $16.6 million worldwide. After its March 9 debut on Prime Video, the film briefly topped Amazon’s streaming charts. It ranked seventh in Nielsen’s weekly movie streaming list with 230 million minutes viewed in its first week.
The reaction to the documentary has split sharply. The film holds a 10% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 98% audience rating.
At the center of the controversy is a simple conflict of claims: lawmakers argue the reported timing. cost. and bidding dynamics suggest improper political intent. while Bezos and Amazon insist the decision was business-led and selected through competition. With the film’s viewership numbers and sharply different critics-versus-audience response now in the public record. the question for investigators and lawmakers is whether the evidence supports the accusation—or whether the debate is driven primarily by how the deal was perceived.
Jeff Bezos Amazon MGM Studios Melania documentary Brett Ratner CNBC Squawk Box Sen. Elizabeth Warren Hank Johnson anti-bribery political influence Prime Video Rotten Tomatoes Nielsen weekly movie streaming