Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is facing backlash after suggesting the box office success of a new documentary about first lady Melania Trump was the result of manipulation rather than moviegoers.
Kimmel, 58, floated the claim during his Wednesday night monologue, casting doubt on ticket sales for the Melania Trump film and implying the numbers may have been artificially inflated through coordinated bulk purchases.
The comments followed a Sunday Substack post by former IndieWire editor Tom Brueggemann, later amplified by Puck, that questioned how the documentary pulled in $7 million during its opening weekend after premiering Jan. 29. Industry analysts had previously projected a far weaker debut, with expectations ranging between $1 million and $5 million.
That gap between predictions and reality prompted Kimmel to frame the film’s performance as suspect.
“Speaking of rigged outcomes,” Kimmel said, pivoting to the topic during his monologue.
Jimmy Kimmel mocks the Melania documentary… pic.twitter.com/wvgh3LlAdt
— Rod Miles (@miles_rod) January 30, 2026
“A lot of people, myself included, have been wondering how this movie managed to sell $7 million worth of tickets last weekend when almost every theater seemed to be empty leading up to the release,” the host added.
Jimmy Kimmel cited Brueggemann’s blog post as part of what he described as multiple “reports,” suggesting the success could not be organic. While he offered no evidence of wrongdoing, the insinuation was clear: something didn’t add up.
The documentary, released by Amazon-MGM, debuted nationwide following a high-profile premiere late last month and has since played in roughly 17,000 theaters across the U.S. Photos from the premiere showed Melania Trump attending the event alongside industry figures.
Critics of Kimmel’s remarks accused the comedian of pushing a baseless narrative simply because the film centers on the first lady and performed better than expected. Supporters of the movie argue that pent-up interest, curiosity and conservative audiences often overlooked by Hollywood explain the strong showing.
The box office numbers stand as reported, but Kimmel’s suggestion that the results were “rigged” has reignited debate over whether Hollywood commentators would react the same way if a politically favored figure saw similar success.
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