Podcast host Emily Austin discusses Melania Trump’s film ‘Melania,’ and the hypocrisy of celebrity activism at events like the Grammys on ‘Kudlow.’
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on Wednesday defended his company’s decision to back a Melania Trump documentary, saying he had no involvement in the deal and rejecting claims it was intended to curry favor with President Donald Trump.
Speaking with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin, the tech billionaire dismissed reports suggesting he personally pushed Amazon to acquire the film.
“The ‘Melania’ thing is a falsehood that will not die,” Bezos said. “I see it reported all the time that somehow I was involved in this … It’s not true. We have denied it. Melania’s office has denied it. It’s not true.”
Even so, Bezos said the “Melania” documentary appeared to have been a smart investment.
“It appears it was a good business decision. You know, it did very well in theaters, it’s done very well on streaming. People are very curious about Melania,” Bezos said. “Even though I had nothing to do with it, it appeared that the Amazon team made a very wise business decision.”
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Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, is pictured during the America Business Forum in Miami, Fla. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File / Getty Images)
Bezos added that Amazon routinely makes major decisions without his direct input, citing the company’s successful adaptation of “Project Hail Mary” as another example.
“I also had nothing to do with ‘Project Hail Mary,’ which I regret because it’s an incredible success. I wish I had greenlit that, but I didn’t,” Bezos told CNBC. “… Amazon’s a big company, it makes a lot of decisions, but no, this idea that somehow that is a way of buying influence is just not correct.”
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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend Amazon MGM’s “Melania” world premiere at The Trump Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images, File / Getty Images)
The “Melania” documentary follows 20 days in Melania Trump’s life just ahead of President Donald Trump‘s second term in office.
Amazon MGM Studios reportedly spent $40 million to acquire “Melania,” which debuted in theaters nationwide in February. The film earned $16.6 million at the global box office, according to The Hill.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMZN | AMAZON.COM INC. | 265.01 | +5.67 | +2.19% |
In March, Democratic lawmakers — including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Hank Johnson, Dan Goldman and Ben Ray Luján — sent a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy questioning the reportedly “extraordinary” price tag and raising concerns the investment could resemble a pay-to-play arrangement with the Trump administration, the outlet reported.
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Amazon’s founder defended the company’s decision to back Melania Trump’s documentary. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Bezos also addressed criticism surrounding his influence over The Washington Post.
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“By the way, the same thing at The Post, I want the opinion section right to stand for free markets, kind of what I’ve been talking to you about today, free markets and individual personal liberties,” Bezos said. “I think that those are [the] founding pillars of America. It’s one of the reasons that America has been so successful.”
Amazon and Bezos could not immediately be reached for comment.
