Melania Trump’s 2026 documentary has been in the headlines since its premiere and not always in a good way.
The latest story relating to Melania comes from an Oscar-nominated composer and director, who claims their Phantom Thread song was used in the movie without consultation and in breach of the composer agreement.
US filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson and Radiohead guitarist and composer, Jonny Greenwood, have both slammed Trump over the use of their composition, Barbara Rose. They demand that the music is stripped from the production as it violates copyright immediately. Using that music without the approval of the composer violates his composer contract.
A piece of music composed by Greenwood for another film was used in the Melania documentary pic.twitter.com/RHNhiens0K
— The London Economic (@LondonEconomic) February 10, 2026
In a statement about the Oscar-nominated music, pointing to the movie’s director, Brett Ratner, Greenwood and Anderson wrote, “It has come to our attention that a piece of music from Phantom Thread has been used in the Melania documentary.”
Meanwhile, Anderson and Greenwood added, “Universal failed to consult Johnny on this third-party use which is a breach of his composer agreement. As a result, Johnny and Paul Thomas Anderson have asked for it to be removed from the documentary.”
Reportedly, the composition originally appeared in their movie Phantom Thread in 2017, which earned six Academy Award nominations. The composition originally appeared in their 2017 film Phantom Thread, which earned six Academy Award nominations.
In that drama, the piece accompanied a tense yet humorous scene where Reynolds (portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis) silently seethes at a gathering thrown by Barbara (portrayed by Harriet Sansom Harris).
As reported by the Daily Beast, producer Mark Beckham addressed the claims, saying, “It’s a blatant lie. We have a legal right and permission to use every song and piece of music in the film.”
“We have the legal rights to use it. We’ve done everything the right way. We followed protocol. We respect artists. We compensated everyone for their music,” he added.
The First Lady’s documentary, Melania (2026) was brought to the screen by producers Brett Ratner, Fernando Suilchin, Marc Beckman, and Melania Trump herself. Amazon MGM Studios is handling the distribution. Since the movie premiered on January 30, it has drawn a critical reception since it played at theaters.
The documentary follows the life of First Lady Melania Trump over the 20 days leading up to her husband, Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration. The movie aims to give viewers a candid and intimate glimpse into Melania’s world. It draws back the curtain on Melania, who has carefully guarded her privacy during her time in the White House and the public eye.
The documentary generated an extreme critical-versus-audience divide and despite a 6 percent critics’ rating on R
According to Rotten Tomatoes, the documentary boasts a 99 percent audience score. However, while those in the audience praised the movie as a poised look at the First Lady, film critics panned it as a $40 million piece of “gilded propaganda” or a “mockumentary,” offering little insight into the true life of Melania Trump.
