The premiere of Melania Trump‘s documentary ‘Melania’ came with a side of controversy as mainstream press were reportedly blocked from attending the screening.
The Amazon MGM Studios film held its world premiere at the Trump Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, but reporters from major outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, AP, and Vanity Fair were denied entry to the invite-only screening.
The only press allowed in from the carpet were One America News anchor Dan Ball and his wife, Peyton Drew, a producer for the far-right network.
Members of the Trump administration, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Pete Hegseth, Lee Zeldin, and Mike Johnson, attended alongside director Brett Ratner and producer Marc Beckman. President Trump spent time answering questions from mainstream reporters on the carpet while the First Lady, wearing a black Dolce & Gabbana skirt suit, posed for photos.
Amazon MGM paid $40 million for rights to the documentary and reportedly another $35 million on marketing, though the film is only projected to earn $3 million to $5 million at the box office this weekend.
Lack of advance ticket sales have become a meme online, with screenshots of empty theaters circulating on social media. The premiere comes amid political unrest over ICE raids and follows a glitzy White House screening earlier this week attended by Apple CEO Tim Cook.
The film also marks Ratner’s return to directing after allegations of sexual misconduct in 2017.
Rolling Stone reported that some crew members requested to not be credited on the project, with one citing alarm about the administration. Ratner acknowledged the situation, stating he understands if people want to feed their families without being formally attached to the film.
Watch footage from the arrivals: