Why Prince's Estate Refused Melania Trump's Documentary Rights To Song
By Fiyin Olowokandi on February 26, 2026 at 11:45 AM EST
Prince wouldn’t want anything to do with Donald Trump, even in his death.
One of the legendary singer’s songs was set to be used in the recently released “Melania” documentary. However, the move was blocked by his estate.
The documentary, which is centered on the life of the First Lady, Melania Trump, was released in January 2026 but has reportedly struggled to generate organic sales.
‘Melania’ Producer Reveals How Prince’s Estate Blocked The Use Of His Songs In The Documentary
Marc Beckman, who produced the newly released documentary, sat down for a candid interview with Variety, during which he shared details about the film.
Beckman noted that the rights to one of Prince’s songs were sold to Primary Wave, and the song was set to feature in “Melania.” However, after getting the all-clear from Primary Wave, the late icon’s estate stepped into the conversation and blocked the move.
“Literally, we were ready to go, and this lawyer that manages the estate was like, ‘Prince would never want his song associated with Donald Trump,’” Beckman revealed.
Despite the pushback, the producer tried to make it clear that the movie was not about the president, but the First Lady, but the estate didn’t budge.
“And we’re like, ‘But it’s not a Donald Trump film! He comes into the movie once in a while, but this is all about Melania. It’s not political.’ And that guy blocked it. It’s so ridiculous,” he added.
The producer made it clear that although the decision didn’t favor him, he had to respect it.
Notably, Prince’s song wasn’t the only one blocked from being used in the documentary. Beckman revealed that Guns N’ Roses and Grace Jones similarly declined the rights to their music.
However, some artists surprisingly agreed to be included in the film, which made him “love” them even more.
Melania Trump’s Documentary Was Reportedly A Huge Miss
Beckman’s statements came a few weeks after “Melania” was released. Despite the hype leading up to the film’s release, it reportedly struggled to generate ample sales.
The Blast reported that due to low sales, Republican clubs were forced to secretly buy out screenings to create an illusion of demand for the documentary.
“This isn't organic demand. It's about optics. Empty theaters look terrible,” an insider reported.
The insider further revealed that the GOP also resorted to giving away the film tickets, either for free or at steeply discounted prices, to save face.
Jimmy Kimmel Takes A Jab At Melania Trump After Documentary Release
Similarly, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel also raised questions about the sale of tickets to “Melania,” noting that the numbers were likely not due to organic traffic.
“A lot of people, myself included, have been wondering how this movie managed to sell millions of dollars’ worth of tickets when almost no one seemed to be there,” he said.
His statements referenced the report claiming that “Melania” earned $7 million during its opening weekend.
According to The Blast, the reality TV star also took a jab at the few fans who showed up to watch the documentary voluntarily, calling them “dumb-as-a-rockettes.”
Sabrina Carpenter Objects To The Use Of Her Song In Donald Trump’s Posts
Just as Kimmel openly questioned the authenticity of ticket sales for the documentary, Sabrina Carpenter has also been vocal in her criticism of the president’s administration.
A few weeks before the documentary aired, the singer condemned the use of her song, “Juno,” in deportation videos shared by the White House, saying, “Do not ever involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” per The Blast.
The White House responded by boldly declaring that the government will not apologize for deporting “dangerous” criminals.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Song Was Also Used By The White House
Just as Carpenter’s song was used in a post by the White House, Olivia Rodrigo’s song was also used. And it similarly gained backlash from the public.
As reported by The Blast, the singer previously condemned the use of her song in posts from the White House and has openly criticized the administration’s crackdown on immigration.
As such, when the White House posted footage of ICE arresting immigrants, her fans flooded the comment section, reiterating that the singer would not be in support of her songs being used for such footage.
Even after the sound was deleted, the loyal fans remained adamant, calling on the singer to “sue” the White House for ignoring her wishes.
