No movie can truly happen without its crew. From videographers, editors, music producers and camera operators to countless others, each plays an important role in a film’s success. And what better way to recognize that accomplishment, apart from an award, than having their names listed in the credits after all their hard work?
First Lady Melania Trump’s highly anticipated film, Melania, is set for a worldwide release over the weekend of Jan. 30, 2026. Ever since the trailer dropped on Dec. 17, 2025, efforts to promote the $75 million project have been underway.
Melania Trump documentary is a massive flop and some of the participants wish to not be credited .It appears they’ve given up on theatres and are sending it straight to Notflix ! pic.twitter.com/YzBgIiRe6A
— Phillip Riley (@philmupp1) January 29, 2026
So far, her movie hasn’t received the positive response the FLOTUS and her team anticipated. Many are predicting that the movie is set to flop with numbers as low as $1 million to $5 million in box office earnings. Even her documentary filming crew seems to share the same discouragement about the movie.
They each anonymously described their experiences working on the documentary. And it looks like they had a pretty hard time shooting the movie, according to a recent interview with Rolling Stone. Apparently, two-thirds of the crew asked for their names to be excluded from the movie, per a source.
Many of the crew on Melania Trump’s film reportedly requested their names be held from the credits.https://t.co/7XGRiNcd81
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) January 27, 2026
Those who were credited reportedly wished to have taken that decision to exclude their names before the documentary filming was over. The crew members of Melania recalled hectic schedules and long working hours, which were really tough on them. Moreover, they weren’t too thrilled by the “chaotic” environment either.
Many members credited the documentary’s director, Brett Ratner, for the “highly disorganized” and reportedly unstable working conditions.According to the anonymous crew members, Ratner had a terrible habit of being unhygienic and not cleaning up after himself once he finished eating. The director was featured in the Epstein files and is accused of s——- harassing six women in the past. This is one of his first works, or rather a comeback since the allegations in 2017.
This doesn’t paint a very good picture of him, generally, either. The person explained, “Brett Ratner was the worst part of working on the project.” They continued to describe his habit of chewing gum and leaving a trail of wrappers wherever he went. He’d sometimes discard the chewed gum into a coffee cup instead of a trash can, where it belongs.
Oh Boy Melania Trump is freaking out since Brett Ratner the Director of her new Documentary which is getting released in a few days is in the Epstein files! 👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/EiPvBGiurr
— Suzie rizzio (@Suzierizzo1) December 22, 2025
Reportedly, he was ignorant of some of his crew members and would “fail to acknowledge their existence.” The director has not responded to claims about him either online or through his representatives. With Ratner allegedly making their lives difficult, the crew still managed to complete the movie and release its trailer, leaving room for promotions.
Which was another issue altogether, since around the same time, there were other things going on online. Moreover, with the Secret Service involved almost throughout, their jobs were more difficult than usual in terms of filming. This was mainly due to Secret Service protocols. About the success of Melania, a filming member said, “If it does flop, I’d feel really great about it.”
Before its global release, the First Lady is gearing up for the screening of Melania at the Kennedy Center this Thursday, January 29, 2026. Further details about those attending the screening are awaited.
