Hold your horses, music fans! The Rolling Stones have emphatically refuted claims that frontman Mick Jagger personally approved the use of their iconic 1969 track 'Gimme Shelter' in the new documentary Melania. This comes after producer Marc Beckman suggested in a recent interview with Variety that Jagger had given his personal blessing for the song's inclusion. However, representatives for the legendary band are setting the record straight.

According to sources close to Jagger and The Rolling Stones, neither the singer nor the group were involved in the licensing decision. Instead, the agreement was handled directly through ABKCO Music & Records, the company that controls 100% of the worldwide copyright to much of the band's pre-1971 catalog, including 'Gimme Shelter'. This arrangement was strictly a rights-holder transaction and did not involve creative consultation or endorsement from the musicians themselves.

The documentary, titled Melania: Twenty Days to History, was directed by Brett Ratner and produced by Ratner, Melania Trump, Fernando Sulichin, and Marc Beckman. It follows Melania Trump in the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump's second presidential inauguration in January 2025. Released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios on January 30, 2026, the film's soundtrack choices have sparked debate, including a separate controversy involving Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson over music from Phantom Thread.

This isn't the first time The Rolling Stones have distanced themselves from political uses of their music; the band has previously objected to Donald Trump using their songs at rallies. ABKCO, founded by the late Allen Klein, acquired the rights to the Stones' early catalog when they parted ways in the early 1970s, meaning the band members themselves often have no direct say in the commercial licensing of these particular older tracks.