Fact check: Did 'Melania' movie sell only one England premiere ticket?
LONDON, ENGLAND: First Lady Melania Trump's documentary 'Melania' premiered in cinemas worldwide on Friday, January 30. It shows the First Lady during the 20 days leading up to the start of the second Trump Administration.
Following the release, a rumor circulated online claiming that the documentary sold only one ticket to its premiere in England despite a $35 million marketing budget. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.
Claim: 'Melania' movie sold only one England premiere ticket
An X user made the claim, writing, "I'M LAUGHING SO LOUD I SCARED MY DOG AND I ALMOST P***ED MY PANTS. THEY SPENT OVER 35 MILLION DOLLARS ON MARKETING THE MELANIA TRUMP MOVIE IN ENGLAND AND IT RESULTED IN ONE TICKET SOLD. ONE F****NG TICKET."
The claim further circulated across different social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and Reddit.
A Threads post read, "They spent more than 35 MILLION DOLLARS marketing THE MELANIA MOVIE that nobody asked for in England and it managed to sell exactly one ticket."
Similarly, a Reddit thread mentioned, "Melania Trump Humiliated as Just One Person Buys Ticket For UK Premiere."
During a special screening of the film, Melania Trump framed the project as a personal storytelling endeavor rather than a traditional documentary, emphasizing that it offered viewers a unique window into her life and experiences.
Fact check: False, claim stems from early, pre-premiere reporting
The claims made in the online posts are not true, as they stem from early, pre-premiere reporting and do not reflect the full picture by the time of release.
A January 26 Guardian article reported 'soft' ticket sales in the UK, specifically noting that at Vue's flagship Islington branch in London (a 25-seat screen), only one ticket had sold for the 3:10 PM opening-day screening. It also noted that two tickets were booked for the 6 p.m. showing.
However, updates show sales improved closer to and on premiere day. By January 30, the premiere day, the same Islington 3:10 PM screening had sold 24 out of 25 seats. The 6 PM show sold 23 out of 25.
Meanwhile, other UK locations, like Cineworld in Birmingham, had sold at least four tickets for some showings. However, broader UK sales remained weak overall, with many screenings sparsely attended or empty in smaller cities.
The viral claim is based on a screenshot from days before release at a specific screening, not the entire UK rollout or even that venue by opening day.
