Melania Trump Documentary to Premiere at Kennedy Center Weeks After President Added His Name to the Building

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are expected to attend the Washington, D.C., premiere of Melania at the recently renamed Trump Kennedy Center, just weeks after the venue’s board voted to add Trump’s name to the historic arts complex.

The couple is slated to appear at the D.C. premiere on Jan. 29 — one day before the documentary reaches theaters — Fox News Digital reported on Thursday, Jan. 8.

The film tracks the first lady during the first 20 days of 2025, leading up to Trump’s second inauguration. Directed by Brett Ratner, it features behind-the-scenes footage from the family’s return to Washington and the inauguration itself, including moments described as previously unseen. The project also highlights Melania’s involvement throughout the transition period.

After beginning his second term, Trump moved to reshape leadership at the Kennedy Center by appointing allies to its board, which later selected him as chairman. Since the summer, Trump has occasionally referred to the venue as the “Trump-Kennedy Center” in public remarks and on social media.

On Dec. 18, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump-appointed board voted to rename the longtime JFK memorial in Washington, D.C., to include Trump’s name. Soon after, the Kennedy Center updated its website header and social media branding, unveiling a revised logo that reads “The Trump Kennedy Center.”

The Kennedy Center was established by Congress as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy one year after his assassination. Kennedy, known for championing the arts, often spoke about what he called “our contribution to the human spirit,” as noted on the center’s website.

Signs that a renaming effort was underway surfaced earlier, including an August 2025 Truth Social post in which Trump previewed the Kennedy Center Honors and wrote, “GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER,” before adding, “whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS.”

Members of the Kennedy family have criticized the board’s decision, including JFK’s niece, Maria Shriver. In a statement reported by Reuters, Shriver argued that Trump was attempting to attach his name to a public institution “without legal authority,” and she said certain ex officio members were prevented from weighing in.

In a separate Instagram post, she wrote that the Kennedy Center was named for her uncle and credited Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy with elevating the arts nationally. She called it “beyond comprehension” that a sitting president would seek to rename a memorial dedicated to JFK, adding that placing Trump’s name ahead of Kennedy’s “is not” acceptable.

In a press release for Melania, the first lady described the documentary as “history … in motion,” and said viewers will see a “private, unfiltered look” at how she navigates “family, business, and philanthropy” on her path to becoming first lady again.

Melania is listed as an executive producer on the film, which is licensed by Amazon. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos “took a personal interest” in the project, according to the New York Post, which reported the documentary helped strengthen his relationship with the Trumps.