Strife is the star of first lady's new doc

'Melania,' helmed by controversial director, arrives as president's policies stir unrest.

- GREG BRAXTON

FIRST Lady Melania Trump at the New York Stock Exchange boardroom, where she promoted her new documentary before ringing the opening bell Wednesday.

When Melania Trump showed up on movie screens in 2001, it was a joke.

The former fashion model and her spouse, Donald Trump, then only a real estate mogul, played themselves in the Ben Stiller comedy “Zoolander,” about a dimwitted male supermodel. She silently looked on as her husband gushed at an awards show red carpet: “Without Derek Zoolander, male modeling would not be where it is today.”

The cameo offers a glimpse of the couple, who in 2017 would enter the White House as president and first lady. As they move past the first anniversary of their second stint in Washington, D.C., Melania has largely stayed away from the spotlight.

But this week the first lady is preparing for her closeup. She is center stage as star and executive producer in the documentary “Melania,” which hit theaters Friday. Positioned as a companion to her bestselling memoir, “Melania” has been shadowed by controversy since its announcement several months ago.

The project marks a comeback attempt by Hollywood filmmaker Brett Ratner, the director of the documentary, who was exiled from Hollywood in 2017 following claims of sexual misconduct by multiple women, including actor Olivia Munn. He continues to deny the accusations.

Amazon MGM Studios paid $40 million to license the project, and sources said it is spending around $35 million for marketing and promotion. Melania is skipping the traditional TV talk show circuit, opting for an appearance on Fox News, which featured an exclusive interview with her Tuesday —her first since returning to the White House. The following day, she rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.