The longtime news anchor and former ‘Today’ host responded to a scene of the first lady singing “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson
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NEED TO KNOW
- Katie Couric had a one-word reaction to a scene from first lady Melania Trump’s Amazon-produced documentary
- Many on social media took Couric’s response to be sarcastic and critical of the film
- The self-titled documentary premiered at the Kennedy Center in January
Katie Couric was engrossed by first lady Melania Trump’s Amazon-produced documentary, or so she claimed in a one-word social media post that was taken by many to be a sarcastic review of the film that President Donald Trump said made his wife a “movie star.”
The longtime TV news anchor and former Today host responded to a clip of Melania posted to Threads, in which Melania Trump rides in her motorcade and sings along to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” The first lady revealed in the self-titled film that Jackson is her favorite artist and “Billie Jean” is her favorite song.
“Riveting,” wrote Couric, a frequent critic of the Trump administration, on Thursday, March 19.
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Amazon MGM Studios purchased the rights to Melania for $40 million and then spent another $35 million to market the documentary. The documentary was directed by Brett Ratner, the former Hollywood blockbuster director who was largely run out of the industry after sexual assault allegations against him surfaced in 2017. Ratner has denied any wrongdoing.
Melania premiered at the Kennedy Center in January and follows the first lady as she prepares to return to the White House in the 20 days leading up to the president’s second inauguration last year. It was widely panned by film critics, with many arguing the documentary — which the first lady had editorial oversight on — did not reveal much about its subject.
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The president was a big fan, however. At a recent gathering of House Republicans at one of his Florida golf clubs, Trump praised the film and declared the first lady to be a movie star.
“Can you believe this? That movie was hot and it is hot. She became a movie star,” Trump said. “It was a good movie.”
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