Melania Pitched Her Documentary to Jeff Bezos Over Dinner at Mar-a-Lago
The first lady will reportedly get a 70 percent cut of the $40 million deal.
Getty Images
It turns out it wasn’t just Donald Trump who had an agenda when Amazon founder Jeff Bezos met with the president-elect and his wife Melania at Mar-a-Lago last December.
Melania pitched her documentary idea to the tech billionaire and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez over dinner at Trump’s estate, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The future first lady was looking for a buyer for a documentary—which she will executive produce—about her return to the White House. The film will be directed by Brett Ratner, who was been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. Ratner has denied the allegations.
Melania’s agent had reportedly pitched the film to a number of studios, including one owned by Amazon. She sought Ratner’s advice on how to sell the idea to Bezos and delivered her pitch at dinner.
In January, Amazon announced it agreed to pay $40 million to secure the licensing rights to Melania’s documentary. The company also gained the rights to a follow-up docuseries that will have two or three episodes.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Melania’s cut is more than 70 percent of the $40 million deal, according to the Journal. Her agent has reportedly been trying to sell sponsorships for the film starting at $10 million to other CEOs and billionaires who, like Bezos, attended Trump’s inauguration.
From left, Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos and Sundar Pichai arrive before the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States takes place inside the Capitol Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., Monday, January 20, 2025.
Kenny Holston/via REUTERS
The film will have a small theatrical run before it becomes available on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service.
Amazon said the project will offer an “unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at First Lady Melania Trump.”
Melania earlier told Fox News that production began in November.
“So it’s a day-to-day life, what I’m doing, what kind of responsibilities I have,” she said. “People, they don’t really know and they will see it. It’s day to day, from transition team to moving to the White House, packing, establishing my team, the First Lady office, moving into the White House, what it takes to make the residence your home, to hire the people that you need.”
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Unlock a year of full access to The Looker and The Daily Beast for $35.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Looker and The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in
Login dialog