AceShowbiz - The producer of the documentary Melania, Marc Beckman, has disclosed that several iconic artists, including Guns N' Roses, Grace Jones, and the estate of Prince, declined permission to have their music featured in the film centered on the former First Lady.

Melania covers the 20-day period leading up to Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January. The project has already faced scrutiny over its soundtrack choices, notably when Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead and director Paul Thomas Anderson requested the removal of their Phantom Thread score, a request producer Beckman ultimately rejected.

Speaking to Variety, Beckman opened up about the licensing challenges, revealing that political differences heavily influenced refusals. "There was music that we tried to get, but sadly, there were politics to it," he said.

Regarding Guns N' Roses, Beckman noted a split in the band's stance: "The guys from Guns N' Roses split down the middle politically. There was a beautiful song we wanted to use, and one of the guys—who I won’t name—said, 'You got it. Go.' But the other was firmly opposed. We needed everybody's approval to get it in the film, so Guns N' Roses was definitely a disappointment for us; we all have a lot of respect for Guns N' Roses."

Beckman also shared that attempts to include a Grace Jones track were thwarted due to political concerns. "She apparently couldn't get over the political hurdle, notwithstanding the fact that the film is not a political film. So that was disappointing, too. It's disappointing when people put politics so far ahead," he said.

The producer further explained the rejection from the Prince estate. Initially hopeful to feature a Prince song, they were halted by a lawyer representing the late artist’s estate, who stated that "Prince would never want his song associated with Donald Trump." Beckman emphasized, "We were like, 'But it's not a Donald Trump film! He comes into the movie once in a while, but this is all about Melania. It's not political.' And that guy blocked it. It's so ridiculous."

This refusal aligns with previous actions by Prince’s estate, which issued a cease and desist order in 2018 against Trump and the White House for using "Purple Rain" at rallies, a stance they reinforced the following year.

Axl Rose’s past public criticisms of Donald Trump add context to the Guns N' Roses stance. Over the past decade, Rose has openly challenged Trump, questioning his behavior and accusing his campaign of exploiting loopholes to use music at events without permission. In 2016, Rose inquired on social media if Trump "ever stops whining?" Two years later, he criticized the Trump campaign for unauthorized use of songs. His 2020 social media return included a tweet mocking Trump and his "Make America Great Again" hats.

The rejection by Grace Jones echoes her vocal criticism of Trump. In 2017, she told The Guardian to "grow up" and condemned Trump's handling of social issues, noting, "He makes a big deal of sportspeople taking a knee but he doesn't make a big deal of the KKK marching with fire. He calls them 'fine people'." She expressed distrust in Trump's transparency and questioned his mental fitness for office, adding, "I believe that every presidential candidate should see a psychiatrist before they're allowed to stand."

Despite these setbacks, the documentary’s soundtrack includes music from notable artists such as Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Boney M, and James Brown, according to IMDb.

In further soundtrack-related news, Beckman revealed that Mick Jagger was involved and gave his blessing for use of a Rolling Stones song. However, when Variety contacted representatives for The Rolling Stones, they declined to comment directly on Beckman’s claim but noted that ABKCO owns the song in question.

The distribution rights for Melania attracted significant attention, with streaming giants Amazon, Disney, Netflix, and Paramount Pictures all bidding. Disney reportedly offered $14 million (£10.2 million), but Amazon won with a $40 million (£29.3 million) bid, marking the highest sum ever paid for a documentary’s streaming rights.

Directed by Brett Ratner, the film opened at Number 29 at the UK box office, earning just under £33,000 in its first week. Globally, it reportedly grossed $9.5 million (£7 million) against a $40 million production budget, with an additional $35 million (£25.6 million) spent on marketing. This figure is notably high for a documentary, though some have questioned the authenticity of the ticket sales, with The Daily Beast reporting allegations of "fake ticket sales" to inflate the movie’s performance.

Demographic data from the US opening day audience shows that 49 percent identified as Republicans, only 2 percent as Democrats, and 72 percent were female. The documentary currently holds an 11 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Variety reached out to representatives of Guns N' Roses and the Prince estate regarding Beckman’s comments but did not receive responses.