On Saturday night, as a major snowstorm hit much of the United States, and Minneapolis erupted in violence after the ICE shooting of a protestor, First Lady Melania Trump and director Brett Ratner held a private screening of their upcoming doc, Melania, at the White House.
The black-tie event, which was not promoted or advertised, took place in the East Room of the White House and attracted about 70 VIP guests, including Queen Rania of Jordan; Zoom CEO Eric Yuan; Apple CEO Tim Cook; New York Stock Exchange CEO Lynn Martin; AMD CEO Lisa Su; Mike Tyson; socialite and Fiat heiress Azzi Agnelli; self-help guru Tony Robbins; fashion designer Adam Lippes; and photographer Ellen von Unwerth, who shot the poster for the film.
Presidential progeny Barron Trump and Ratner’s mother, Marsha Presman, were also in attendance along with Amazon Studios chief Mike Hopkins, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and Marc Beckman, a senior adviser and longtime manager to the First Lady who was reportedly involved in every aspect of the project. But major Trump officials and cabinet members were notably absent.
Sources say nobody outside of Melania, Ratner and a small group of their associates had seen the movie before the screening, including the president and his advisers.
The controversial Amazon-funded documentary, which opens nationwide in theaters on Jan. 30, tracks 20 days in Melania’s life from Trump’s 2025 presidential campaign to Inauguration Day. A source close to the first lady indicates that Ratner spent months living at Mar-a-Lago during the film’s shooting. It’s Ratner’s first major movie since he was accused of sexual misconduct and harassment close to a decade ago.
Guests were welcomed to the Saturday screening by a full military band playing famous movie tunes and “Melania’s Waltz,” a song composed for the film by Hollywood composer Tony Neiman. According to one invitee, guests were also treated to commemorative black and white popcorn boxes; framed, collectable screening tickets; and “take home cookies” bearing the first lady’s name. A limited-edition version of her bestselling Melania was also gifted to attendees.
But since THR’s exclusive report on the screening was published Saturday night, the White House and many of Melania’s guests have faced fierce criticism for going ahead with the event despite ongoing fallout from the murder of an anti-ICE protestor in Minnesota. (The screening was scheduled months before the shooting.)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to X to slam the event writing, “Today DHS assassinated a VA nurse in the street, Bondi is attempting to extort voter files, and half the country is bracing on the eve of a potentially crippling ice storm with FEMA gutted. So what is the President up to? Having a movie night at the White House. He’s unfit.” Apple’s Tim Cook and other CEOs also came under fire, especially Amazon’s Jassy, who is said to have personally approved the company’s massive $40 million payout for the doc.
Despite the criticism, however, Melania seemed pleased with the event, writing on X: “I am deeply humbled to have been surrounded by an inspiring room of friends, family, and cultural iconoclasts at the White House last night. Each of these individuals brought their unique vision to the world, making a lasting impression. Our personal stories endure time and serve as a reminder of our mutual obligation to one another. It was an honor to present my new film, Melania, ahead of its global launch.”
Ahead of the film’s release, the first lady is reportedly scheduled to ring the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Melania, along with the president and 1,000 other guests, will also attend a the film’s premiere on Thursday night at Washington’s Kennedy Center, while the film also rolls out in 20 cities nationwide
Below, THR shares exclusive photos from the event.
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