Melania Trump’s longtime advisor and the producer behind her latest film project has addressed allegations made by two Oscar-winning artists, accusing him of appropriating their musical score.
Marc Beckman vehemently denied claims that his documentary improperly utilized a track from the period drama “Phantom Thread,” calling the accusations “completely false” during a conversation with Breitbart.
The controversy stems from director Paul Thomas Anderson and Radiohead’s guitarist Jonny Greenwood, who composed the score in question for the 2017 movie.
In a pointed statement released to Variety, Anderson and Greenwood claimed that the film “Melania” incorporated music from “Phantom Thread” without Greenwood’s authorization—an assertion Beckman dismissed as “a blatant falsehood.”
“We have secured all necessary rights and permissions for every song and musical piece featured in the film,” Beckman stated to Breitbart on Monday.
“Our process was thorough and legal. We ensured all protocols were observed, we honor artists, and we have compensated everyone involved for their contributions,” he added.
Greenwood and Anderson, meanwhile, maintained that Universal Pictures licensed the music without Greenwood’s permission. They called it ‘a breach of his composer agreement.’
‘As a result, Jonny and Paul Thomas Anderson have asked for it to be removed from the documentary,’ their statement read.
‘We have legally binding, fully executed contracts in place to use every song in Melania,’ an incredulous Beckman shot back. ‘This is just ridiculous.’
A longtime advisor to First Lady Melania Trump and producer of her new movie has responded to two Oscar winners’ claims that he stole some of their score. (Pictured: Donald and Melania Trump at the premiere of her documentary film in Washington DC on January 29)
Marc Beckman, a longtime advisor for Melania Trump and producer of her new movie, is speaking out against allegations that some of the score was stolen from a 2017 film
Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood (L) and director Paul Thomas Anderson – seen here at a 2018 screen of Anderson’s film Phantom Thread – made the claim in a statement to Variety
The agent went on to insist that neither man ‘contacted anyone in our camp to see if their reporting was factually correct’, before taking a shot at Variety.
‘It’s time for journalists to report the news as opposed to making it up,’ he said.
‘I have a tremendous amount of respect for journalism and its role in American society but if it continues to head in this direction, it will lose its impact and importance in our democracy.
‘If these journalists continue to publish one-sided pieces, they will lose the trust of the American people.’
The song in question is a long excerpt of Greenwood’s ‘Barbara Rose’ – one of many that won Greenwood Best Original Score.
Anderson, meanwhile, took home Best Director. The film also won Best Picture.
But Beckman was more eager to talk about Melania’s surprising success at the box office, after experts flagged the film as a flop even before it premiered.
‘We’re very pleased with the film’s performance in its second weekend in theaters,” Beckman said.
Beckman said the film about the first lady in the days leading up to her husband’s second inauguration secured the ‘legal right and permission to use every song and piece of music in the film’ from Universal Pictures
Beckman has been Melania’s agent for decades. The two are seen on Beckman’s podcast early last year, after Donald Trump’s election win
‘We crossed $13 million in sales and we hit the predicted benchmark for our sales projections for Super Bowl weekend almost exactly with what we predicted.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Universal for comment.
A February 1 Substack post by former IndieWire Editor Tom Brueggemann suggested that ticket sales for the new film – which follows the first lady in the days before the 2025 inauguration – were ‘rigged’ by suspicious bulk purchases.
No proof was provided. ‘Industry sources’ told Brueggemann there ‘were signs that blocs of tickets were purchased for the weekend, then distributed to senior citizen homes, Republican activists, other interested parties for free to help boost audiences.’
The film made $7 million on its opening weekend after box-office experts like Brueggemann said it was set to rake in a mere $1 million to $5 million.
The movie was released on January 29, after Amazon paid more than $75 million to get it to theaters.
Beckman – an agent for Melania for the past two decades – told the Sunday Times last month it was the First Lady’s idea to rent out the Sphere arena in Las Vegas for a 60-second monochrome teaser played on its circular screen.
‘She is very detail-orientated,’ Beckman said.
