Melania Trump film ads defaced across Los Angeles ahead of documentary premiere

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Promotional advertisements for the documentary film ‘Melania’ have been widely vandalized across Los Angeles, drawing attention just days before the film’s scheduled premiere. The defaced posters, displayed at bus stops and on city buses, have prompted transit authorities to intervene amid concerns over public property damage and rider safety.

Images of the altered ads began circulating on social media in late January, showing graffiti, expletives, and political references scrawled across posters featuring First Lady Melania Trump. The incidents come as part of a major promotional push for the film, which is set for a nationwide theatrical and online release.

According to TMZ, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority responded by relocating some buses carrying the advertisements in an effort to curb further vandalism.

Vandalism reported at multiple Los Angeles bus stops

Metro officials told NBC4 Los Angeles that the vandalism was concentrated at bus stops across the city, where posters promoting ‘Melania’ were repeatedly targeted.

“After seeing significant vandalism at city bus stops on advertising for the ‘Melania’ movie, Metro proactively reassigned some of the buses containing that advertising to other geographic areas to minimize potential vandalism,” the agency said in a statement.

The graffiti varied in content, ranging from political slogans and references to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein to direct personal insults. In one instance, a poster appeared to have been smeared with what looked like feces, escalating concerns about sanitation and safety.

Transit officials said the reassignment of buses was a precautionary measure aimed at protecting city property and reducing the risk of confrontations or further damage.

Social media posts amplify backlash

Photos of the vandalized ads quickly gained traction online, with critics of the Trump family sharing and commenting on the images. Several posts urged viewers to boycott the film, while others framed the graffiti as a reflection of public sentiment.

The viral spread of these images has amplified attention around the documentary, turning the vandalism itself into part of the broader conversation surrounding the film’s release.

Inside the ‘Melania’ documentary

‘Melania’ offers a behind-the-scenes look at the first lady’s life over a 20-day period leading up to President Donald Trump’s January 2025 inauguration. Marketed as an intimate portrait, the documentary focuses on private moments and conversations, including phone calls between Melania and her husband.

Amazon MGM Studios has reportedly invested tens of millions of dollars in the project, along with a marketing campaign estimated at around $35 million. The promotional rollout has included television ads during NFL playoff games and a premiere simulcast across 25 theaters in the United States.

In the film’s trailer, Melania Trump is heard congratulating her husband on his speech and telling him she planned to watch it later on the news.

President Trump has publicly promoted the film, encouraging supporters to attend screenings and claiming tickets are selling out quickly.

Transit officials stress safety concerns

While LA Metro has not disclosed which routes or areas the reassigned buses now serve, officials emphasized that the decision was made to protect riders, staff, and city assets.

With the film’s premiere approaching, authorities remain alert to the possibility of further vandalism but said their primary focus is maintaining safety and minimizing disruptions across the transit system.