Nearly two-thirds of the crew members who worked on the documentary, Melania, asked to have their names removed from the film’s credits, according to a new report, with at least one participant openly hoping the project flops.
Rolling Stone reported the claims, speaking with multiple crew members who worked on the film during its New York production. Several described a shoot marked by confusion, long hours, and what they characterized as a lack of basic organization.
The documentary follows Flotus, Melania Trump, during the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. The film opened in theaters nationwide on Friday. Amazon MGM Studios reportedly paid $40 million to acquire the project and has spent an additional $35 million on marketing, bringing its total investment to roughly $75 million.
Crew members who requested anonymity told Rolling Stone that the working conditions were chaotic, with poor planning and limited communication. Several pointed to director Brett Ratner as a central source of frustration.
“I feel a little bit uncomfortable with the propaganda element of this,” one crew member said. “But Brett Ratner was the worst part of working on this project.”
Another staffer recalled a day when the crew was not permitted to take meal breaks, while Ratner was seen eating separately. “Brett, unknowingly or maliciously, got his own food, went up there, was just eating it, and just licking his fingers in the grubbiest way possible, either being a dick or having no awareness whatsoever of the fact that everybody else is working and no one’s eating,” the person said.
One crew member went further, saying they would welcome a commercial failure. “Unfortunately, if it does flop, I would really feel great about it,” the staffer told Rolling Stone.
Another individual who ultimately chose to keep their name in the credits now regrets that decision. “I’m much more alarmed now than I was a year ago,” they said.
Notably, none of the complaints were directed at Melania Trump herself. Crew members described her as “friendly,” “totally nice,” and “very engaged,” with one person calling her “the opposite of Brett Ratner.”
According to the report, Trump served as an executive producer and was involved throughout the production process, including creative decisions, the trailer, color correction, music selection, and marketing. She is reported to have earned $28 million from the licensing deal.
The film is opening in approximately 1,400 theaters. BoxOfficePro projects an opening weekend between $1 million and $2 million, a figure that would represent a small fraction of Amazon’s reported overall investment.
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