As a public figure, First Lady Melania Trump has surely received scrutiny in the past, but it had not previously resulted in vandalism or outright hooliganism. However, her promotional material for her upcoming documentary titled “Melania” was unexpectedly torn down and defaced in Los Angeles.
Vandals targeted promotional ads on buses across California and wrote slurs using spray paint on them. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority confirmed on January 29 that it had reassigned some buses carrying advertisements for “Melania” to different routes following repeated incidents of vandalism.
Ads for Melania Trump’s documentary “Melania” have been getting a lot of attention in L.A. … but not in a good way. The city’s public transit agency has reported a huge rise in vandalism on buses and at stops featuring the First Lady’s face.
Read more: https://t.co/28L7RfqFR4 pic.twitter.com/Fq8n4pNWM6
— TMZ (@TMZ) January 29, 2026
“After seeing significant vandalism at city bus stops on advertising for the Melania movie, Metro proactively reassigned some of the buses containing that advertising to other geographic areas to minimize potential vandalism,” the department said in a statement.
Messages on the ads were about the alleged killings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, as well as months of domestic unrest, abrupt detention, wrongful deportations and alleged accounts of physical abuse.
Others also slammed Melania for Trump’s lack of accountability and transparency regarding the Epstein Files controversy, which dominated political discourse throughout much of 2025.
“F–- ice and f–- trump and his administration,” one comment on the ads read. Another threw shade at the film’s director, Brett Ratner, who previously drew attention for allegations of misconduct.
Some vandals drew a small moustache on Melania and wrote “Eva Braun” beside her name, invoking the longtime partner of Adolf Hitler. Another scrawl read, “Melania is in the Epstein Files.”
Despite denying the allegations, Ratner faced a career hiatus when Warner Bros. cut ties with him. His past work includes films such as “Tower Heist”, “Red Dragon”, and “Money Talks”.
According to The Daily Beast, Melania Trump’s documentary has also been met with harsh criticism online even before its official release on January 30, 2026.
Los Angeles Metro Reroutes Buses with Ads for ‘Melania’ Movie from Service to ‘Mitigate Potential Vandalism’ pic.twitter.com/jGBg7BA0lK
— Savaged (@MichaelGar63457) January 30, 2026
Early screenings reportedly drew minimal attendance. A debut showing at a popular London cinema sold just one ticket, while a subsequent screening attracted only two attendees.
The film explores Melania Trump’s role as the wife of President Trump and the challenges she faced while transitioning into the role of First Lady.
According to The Irish Star, Amazon reportedly paid $40 million for the rights to the documentary, which happens to be a significant investment for a non-fiction film.
As per box office experts, the movie might earn between $2 million and $5 million in its opening weekend. But the number seems to be quite a low start, considering the big reputation and budget of the documentary.
Despite the massive outpouring of hate, Victor Knavs, Melania Trump’s father, came out to support his daughter’s big-screen debut. Melania has also been very hopeful about the outcome, as it is slated to be released today.
She already organized a private screening for her family and has received immense support from MAGA members and the Trump family. Yet, reviewers have called it “propaganda fluff” and publicly criticized both director Ratner and the Trump administration.
