Melania Trump’s film premiere went ahead without some notable attendees: her family.
Barron Trump, 19, did not join his mother, 55, for the premiere of Melania at the Kennedy Center on Thursday evening, despite appearing on the cast list of the documentary, the New York Post reports.
The ‘Melania’ premiere won’t be a family reunion. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Barron, 19, has lived at the White House since transferring to NYU’s Washington, D.C., campus. He already saw his mother’s film during a private screening at the White House on Saturday, also attended by Trump. Kevin Lamarque/Getty Images
Eric Trump, 42, and his wife, Lara, 43, were also no-shows, though Donald Trump Jr., 48, was in attendance, joined by his fiancée, Bettina Anderson, 39. The pair walked the event’s black carpet, the New York Post reports, but were not photographed.
Melania Trump. Variety via Getty Images Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend Bettina Anderson attend the world premiere of Amazon MGM Studios’ “Melania” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2026. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
A representative for Eric and Lara confirmed their absence to the Post, adding, “They are deeply proud of the First Lady and the remarkable story being shared. They are confident the premiere will be a tremendous success and regret missing what will undoubtedly be a wonderful evening.”
Lara and Eric Trump are no-shows, as are Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Out of Donald Trump’s children with Ivana Trump, only Donald Trump Jr. is set to attend Melania’s much-hyped film. Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images It’s unclear if Tiffany Trump will attend the premiere. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Tiffany Trump, 32, Donald Trump’s only child with Marla Maples, also did not attend the premiere, which was followed by dueling afterparties hosted by the producers and Don Jr.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
Barron, who lives at the White House while attending NYU’s Washington, D.C., campus, already saw the film during a private screening at the White House on Saturday, which was also attended by his father.
President Donald Trump accompanied Melania, one of the few family members to attend. Samuel Corum/Getty Images
While the united Trump family was not there, all but two Trump cabinet members dutifully turned up for the premiere of the first lady’s $75 million documentary, which chronicles Melania’s 20 days leading up to becoming first lady once again.
Spotted walking the black carpet were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins.
They were joined by other Trump pals including FBI Director Kash Patel, U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Jeanine Pirro, and Speaker Mike Johnson.
Beleaguered Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem skipped the carpet, but was spotted inside the theater, CNN reports.
With much of the Trump family absent, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, showed up for the first lady at the ‘Melania’ world premiere. Getty Images
Other VIP guests included Nicki Minaj, former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, and Dr. Phil, along with a slate of Z-list celebrities, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The film—which Jeff Bezos’ Amazon invested $75 million in—is expected to flop badly when it opens in theaters on Friday. CNN data analyst Harry Enten reported Thursday that Melania is projected to earn as little as $1 million on its opening weekend.
