Marc Beckman, who produced the Brett Ratner-directed documentary, dismissed the accusations as “a blatant lie” after Anderson and Greenwood publicly objected to the inclusion of Greenwood’s score from the 2017 film. The Oscar nominees previously said they were not consulted about the use of the music and requested that it be removed from the documentary.
Greenwood, who composed the score for Phantom Thread, stated that he was not informed about the music’s inclusion in Melania and did not approve its use. Anderson, who directed Phantom Thread, echoed the concern, framing the issue as a matter of artistic integrity and composer rights.
In response, Beckman insisted the production had properly secured the necessary rights. He said the documentary “had legal right and permission to use every song and piece of music in the film” and maintained that the team “followed protocol” in acquiring the soundtrack material. He also emphasized that artists were compensated accordingly.
The dispute has added to ongoing controversy surrounding Melania, which has already generated debate due to its political subject matter and creative direction. The public clash between the documentary’s producers and the Oscar-nominated collaborators has brought renewed attention to questions surrounding music licensing, consultation and creative control in filmmaking.
As of now, it remains unclear whether any changes will be made to the documentary’s soundtrack.