Jimmy Kimmel Mocks “Melania” Box Office: Calls Opening Numbers ‘Very Sus,’ Jokes Audience Score Beats “The Godfather”

Jimmy Kimmel spared no punches during his latest Jimmy Kimmel Live monologue, taking aim at the Amazon MGM-backed documentary “Melania”, which chronicles Melania Trump’s life in the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration.

The documentary opened domestically to $7 million, a strong debut for a documentary, but a modest return given Amazon reportedly spent $40 million to acquire the film and another $35 million marketing it. Kimmel questioned the legitimacy of the numbers, referencing reports of bulk ticket purchases distributed to Republican activists and senior citizens.

“Imagine those poor senior citizens,” Kimmel quipped. “‘Good morning, Mrs. Greenwald. Here are your heart pills and here are your liver pills. And here’s a pair of tickets to ‘Melania.’”

Kimmel Roasts Audience and Critic Scores

The late-night host also skewered the reviews, highlighting a stark contrast between critics and audience reactions.

• Critics’ score: 5% on Rotten Tomatoes (1% lower than Gigli)

• Audience score: 99% positive (1% higher than The Godfather)

“I’m sure Donald J. Corleone had nothing to do with that at all,” Kimmel joked.

He continued to lampoon the film’s fanbase, joking about a group dubbed the “Church Ladies” and calling them the “Dumb-as-the-Rockettes,” while poking fun at their matching white outfits.

“They look like they dressed up as a group of redacted documents from the Epstein files. It’s all very sus, as the kids like to say,” Kimmel added.

Demographics & Box Office Highlights

According to PostTrak data, the opening weekend audience skewed 72% female and 83% over age 45, with nearly 75% identifying as white. While Los Angeles and New York are typically top markets, the documentary performed strongest in red cities like Dallas, Orlando, Tampa, Phoenix, and West Palm Beach.

Kimmel has been critical of Melania since before its release, previously calling it a “$75 million bribe” and mocking the film’s box office debut as the “biggest opening for a non-musical vanity project/brazen corporate bribe in the last 10 years.”

“We need to get to the bottom of this. Send in Tulsi Gabbard and the FBI! Seize the ticket machines, the popcorn buckets, the box office receipts, at every multiplex in America!” Kimmel joked.

Watch Kimmel’s latest monologue in the video below.