Jeff Bezos is pushing back against persistent allegations that Amazon's decision to greenlight a $75 million documentary on Melania Trump was an effort to buy influence with the Trump administration. In a Wednesday interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box," the Amazon founder told Andrew Ross Sorkin that he "had nothing to do with" the project, calling the narrative "a falsehood that will not die."
The documentary, titled "Melania," was produced by Amazon MGM Studios for a reported $40 million, with an additional $35 million spent on marketing and promotion. It premiered in theaters nationwide in February and follows the former first lady in the days leading up to President Trump's second inauguration. Melania Trump served as an executive producer on the film.
Bezos directly addressed speculation that the project was hatched during a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump's Florida resort. "I see reported all the time that somehow I was involved in this, and I know we did this at this Mar-a-Lago dinner," he said. "We have denied it. Melania's office has denied it. It's not true. I had nothing to do with that."
The documentary's box office performance has been modest, grossing $16.6 million worldwide. Despite this, Bezos defended the investment as sound. "It did very well in theaters. It's done very well on streaming. 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."
Bezos's comments come amid ongoing scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers. In March, a group led by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representatives Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) sent a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy demanding answers about the "extraordinary sum" paid for the documentary. The letter raised "serious concerns that its investment in 'Melania' was part of an apparent pay-to-play arrangement with the Trump Administration."
The controversy echoes broader tensions between major tech companies and the Trump administration, which has pursued aggressive policies on everything from bank scrutiny of customer citizenship to federal lawsuits against state prediction market bans. Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post and Blue Origin, has sought to maintain a delicate balance. In a recent interview, he praised Trump's second-term maturity even as the president's approval ratings hit record lows.
Bezos acknowledged that the optics of the deal are problematic. "I can see why people say this," he told Sorkin, but insisted that the decision was purely commercial. "Amazon's a big company and makes a lot of decisions. But no, this idea that somehow that is a way of buying influence, it's just not. It's just not correct."
The documentary's release has also fueled broader debates about the intersection of media, politics, and corporate power. Critics argue that the hefty price tag and Melania Trump's role as executive producer blur the lines between journalism and propaganda. Supporters counter that the film offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at a public figure who has largely shunned the spotlight.
As Bezos distances himself from the project, the question remains whether the controversy will fade or intensify. For now, the Amazon founder is sticking to his story: the Melania documentary was a business call, not a political one.
