Melania Trump's Documentary Was A Nightmare For Secret Service

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Hold onto your hats, ladies and gentleman, because Melania Trump will soon be seen in a theater near you when her Amazon documentary makes its way to the big screen on January 30, 2026. While fans likely can't wait, it's safe to say that the first lady's Secret Service detail is incredibly glad that the project is over. Why? Because filming the documentary was apparently enough of a nightmare. A source told Puck in February 2025 that the documentary's controversial director, Brett Ratner, was granted unlimited White House access while shooting the film. Ratner, who for some unfathomable reason was picked to direct the project, has previously been accused of sexual misconduct by six women, though he's denied any wrongdoing. The source alleged that Ratner's unrestricted access to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue left Melania's detail "uneasy."

The doccie has been steeped in controversy. Aside from the fact that Melania clinched a $40 million deal with Amazon for the project, her decision to hire Ratner as the director raised eyebrows. An insider told The Economic Times that the Trumps don't give a flying flamingo about the optics, bluntly stating, "[They] don't care. Everyone in liberal Hollywood is melting down about it. They can't believe Melania secured $40 million." Word on the street is that Ratner was the one who managed to milk Amazon for that $40 million, which may or may not be why Melania decided to work with him despite his checkered past. An expert in the documentary world told Puck that the deal Amazon made with Melania was preposterous. "40 million? That's absurd. Maybe $5 million," they told the outlet.

During President Donald Trump's first term, Melania Trump was as elusive as she's been during his second. So much so that one of the most brutal nicknames Melania has been saddled with came courtesy of the Secret Service. 

According to Melania's former chief of staff Stephanie Grisham's book, "I'll Take Your Questions Now," Secret Service agents referred to Melania as "Rapunzel" behind her back because she so rarely left the White House residence. In fact, Grisham wrote that the first lady barely spent any time in the East Wing, which used to be the first lady's place of work before Donald completely demolished it to make room for a ballroom in October 2025. "Mrs. Trump was working from home long before the country was," Grisham quipped in the book. Because she rarely emerged from the White House, Secret Service agents preferred to be assigned to Melania because it meant they had a lot of free time on their hands, Grisham alleged. Melania's spokesperson has decried the claims as false. 

There's no telling how Melania feels about the reported nickname, but she did offer her view on the efficacy of the Secret Service after the Trump rally shooting in July 2024. "I have a great team in my detail around me and my husband as well. I think there are some holes — something is going on at the top level," she told Fox News in October 2024 (via the New York Post). "It's hard to say that you trust, right? Who [do] you really trust? You want to, but it's always a question mark," she added.