Content Advisory: This article discusses political influence claims, documentary financing, sexual misconduct allegations, and public criticism of a media deal. Reader discretion is advised.
Jeff Bezos is denying that he personally helped push Amazon’s controversial Melania Trump documentary, but he is still defending the deal.
During a Wednesday interview on CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’, Bezos addressed claims that Amazon’s streaming division spent heavily on the documentary to win favor with President Donald Trump.
The film, titled ‘Melania’, reportedly cost Amazon roughly $75 million between licensing, marketing, and promotion. That figure sparked scrutiny after the documentary earned about $16 million worldwide in theaters.
Bezos insisted he had “nothing to do” with the project.
Jeff Bezos Denies Role In ‘Melania’ Deal
Bezos pushed back on claims that Melania Trump personally pitched him the documentary during a 2024 dinner at Mar-a-Lago.
“The Melania thing is a falsehood that will not die,” Bezos said. “I see it reported all the time that somehow I was involved in this, that we did this at this Mar-a-Lago dinner. It’s not true.”
He added that both Amazon and Melania’s office have denied the story.
“I had nothing to do with that,” Bezos said.
Still, he defended the documentary as a smart move by Amazon’s team.
“By the way, it appears it was a good business decision,” he said.
Bezos Calls Documentary A ‘Good Business Decision’
Bezos argued that audience interest in Melania helped justify the deal.
“People are very curious about Melania,” he said. “So even though I had nothing to do with it, it appears that the Amazon team made a very wise business decision.”
That claim depends on how the numbers are viewed.
At the box office, ‘Melania’ earned just over $16 million worldwide during its four-week theatrical run. That was far below the reported $35 million licensing fee and the additional $40 million Amazon allegedly spent on marketing and promotion.
But compared with other documentaries, $16 million is still a strong theatrical result. Recent documentary hits have often finished in that same range or lower, making the film successful by genre standards even if the broader spending raises questions.
Amazon Deal Sparked Influence Questions
The project drew extra attention because Bezos attended Trump’s 2025 inauguration and has been seen as one of several major business figures trying to keep ties with the administration.
Bezos rejected the idea that the documentary was about buying political access.
“This idea that [‘Melania’] is somehow a way of buying influence, it’s just not correct,” he said.
To make his point, Bezos compared the situation to other Amazon projects he said he also did not personally oversee.
“I also had nothing to do with ‘Project Hail Mary’, which I regret because it’s an incredible success,” he said.
His argument was simple: Amazon is too large for every major entertainment decision to involve him directly.
Bezos Praises Trump As ‘More Mature’
Elsewhere in the CNBC interview, Bezos also commented on Trump’s second term, describing the president as “more mature” than he was during his first administration.
“We need our business leaders to provide input into the administration, regardless of who the president is,” Bezos said. “I’m on the side of America, and that is so important.”
That line may not quiet critics who already saw the ‘Melania’ deal as politically convenient. Bezos says he was not involved and calls the documentary a smart business call. Skeptics will likely keep asking why Amazon spent so much on it in the first place.
