The producer behind the documentary, Melania, is facing pushback after claiming that The Rolling Stones and Mick Jagger personally approved the use of their song “Gimme Shelter” in the film. A representative for the band has disputed that account, clarifying that the licensing deal did not involve the group directly.
Sources suggest Rolling Stones is disputing Melania producer’s claims
Released in January by Amazon MGM Studios, Melania follows US First Lady Melania Trump in the weeks leading up to her husband Donald Trump’s second inauguration. The film received largely mixed-to-negative reviews from critics upon release. Producer Mark Beckman told Variety that his team worked closely with the Rolling Stones regarding the use of “Gimme Shelter.”
“We worked very close with them on that,” Beckman said. He further added that Jagger was “actually involved” and “gave us his blessing.” Sharing more, he added, “That wasn’t something that we just pulled out. And that wasn’t a political thing, With the Stones, they were just like, ‘Oh, you’re making a nice movie.’”
He further stated: “They were able to get over the hurdle: it’s not politics – it’s just some story about some woman that is going from being a civilian back into the White House. And this movie looks cool and Brett [Ratner] is doing a cool job and Melania Trump is focused, and let’s do it.”
A spokesperson for the Rolling Stones told The Guardian that rights holder ABKCO handled the agreement to use “Gimme Shelter” solely with the film’s producers. The band itself did not participate in the licensing process.
A source close to Jagger also told the publication that skepticism around the producer’s comments warrants consideration. They suggested the claims surfaced as part of promotional efforts for the Melania documentary.
The controversy comes as other artists have also distanced themselves from the documentary. Jonny Greenwood and filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson have requested the removal of music from their 2017 film, Phantom Thread.
