“Phantom Thread ”Composer Wants His Music Out of Melania Trump's Documentary
- - “Phantom Thread ”Composer Wants His Music Out of Melania Trump's Documentary
Meredith KileFebruary 10, 2026 at 4:27 AM
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Jonny Greenwood and Paul Thomas Anderson; Melania Trump
John Phillips/Getty; Taylor Hill/WireImage
The composer and director of Phantom Thread have asked that a piece of music from the 2017 Oscar nominee be removed from Melania Trump's recently released documentary
In a joint statement, Jonny Greenwood and Paul Thomas Anderson accused Universal of breaching Greenwood's composer agreement by allowing Melania to use his music without consulting him
The first lady's documentary premiered last month to a 99% audience rating and 8% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes
Jonny Greenwood, lead guitarist for Radiohead and award-winning film composer, has asked that a segment of his score from Phantom Thread be removed from the recently released Melania Trump documentary, Melania.
Greenwood and Paul Thomas Anderson, who directed the 2017 psychological drama, shared a joint statement to Variety about the first lady's use of Phantom Thread's music. (The film earned numerous Oscar nominations, including for Best Original Score.)
“It has come to our attention that a piece of music from Phantom Thread has been used in the Melania documentary,” read the pair's statement. "While Jonny Greenwood does not own the copyright in the score, Universal failed to consult Jonny on this third-party use, which is a breach of his composer agreement. As a result, Jonny and Paul Thomas Anderson have asked for it to be removed from the documentary."
PEOPLE reached out to Universal Pictures for comment.
Melania, which was released in theaters on Jan. 30, followed the first lady in the weeks leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025.
Melania touted her music selection for the film before its official premiere at the Kennedy Center on Jan. 29. While promoting the documentary at the New York Stock Exchange, she said, "Visual storytelling and beautiful music create memories for a lifetime. What do you remember when you hear Rolling Stones? Michael Jackson?"
"Films bring families and friends together, sitting side by side, sharing a collective moment. In doing so, they will not simply watch a film, they will participate in a great American tradition and become part of our nation's history," she continued.
Melania included a wide range of notable songs, including "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones, "Amazing Grace" by Aretha Franklin, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears, "Sunny" by Boney M., and "Then He Kissed Me" by The Crystals.
The documentary earned $7.04 million in its first weekend — the biggest opening for a non-fiction film in the last decade, Deadline reported. However, that was just a fraction of what Amazon MGM Studios spent on the film. The Jeff Bezos-owned entertainment company paid $40 million to acquire the film, then dropped an additional $35 million on marketing.
Also lopsided is the film's Rotten Tomatoes score. Melania's Popcornmeter, or audience rating, currently sits at 99%; however, its Tomatometer, or critics' score, is just 8%.
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The documentary marked controversial Hollywood filmmaker Brett Ratner’s return to the big screen after being accused by six different women, including actress Olivia Munn, of sexual misconduct during the #MeToo movement in 2017. Ratner has denied the allegations and no criminal charges were filed against him.
In the weeks surrounding Melania's release, Ratner appeared in multiple photographs released by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of the file for the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Ratner has denied having a "personal relationship" with Epstein.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
