Rolling Stones Fear Potential Visa Denials Following Dispute Over Melania Trump Documentary Music

The Rolling Stones still can’t get no satisifaction with President Trump, and this time they risk losing their American visas and their ability to tour in the United States.The latest dispute centers around the alleged unauthorized use of the band’s music in “Melania,” a self-titled documentary about the first lady. The band has objected to the use of their classic track “Gimme Shelter” in the opening scene of the film, which chronicles Melania Trump during the 20 days before the president’s second inauguration. According to a source speaking to RadarOnline, there is a “growing belief” that the friction between the Stones and Mr. Trump, which started back in 1989, has “taken a sinister turn.” The source said there is a “fear” that Mr. Trump may seek revenge against the band. “The fear being voiced is that Trump could look at ways to hit back, including targeting the band’s ability to tour in the U.S. by raising issues around past drug histories and visa eligibility,” one source told Radar.Such a move wouldn’t have a huge effect on American fans, at least not this year. The band has no tour planned for America in 2026. But group members are getting up there in years, prompting the not-so-nice nickname “The Rolling Bones.” Singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards are 82, while bassist Ronnie Wood is 78. The original drummer, Charlie Watts, died in 2021 at age 80.Still, the visa threat could affect a later tour — if they ever decide to hit the road again.The State Department has previously withdrawn artist visas based on criminal records. Several members of the band have had highly publicized run-ins with the legal system. Mr. Jagger and Mr. Richards were famously arrested and charged with drug possession in Britain in 1967, and Mr. Richards and Mr. Wood were arrested in Arkansas for reckless driving in 1975.The use of their song has been a growing dispute. Despite claims from the film’s production team, representatives for the band strongly deny that they allowed its use. An unnamed source close to Mr. Jagger denied that the frontman was involved in the decision to license the track, The Guardian reported.Furthermore, an official representative told the British paper that the license “was made exclusively between rights holders ABKCO and Melania’s producers, and that the band had nothing to do with it.” Representatives of the band say members had “no direct involvement,” and a source noted that “Mick’s inner circle” is skeptical that the bandmates were “personally involved in backing this film in any substantive way.”However, producer Marc Beckman painted a different picture, telling Variety that Mr. Jagger “was actually involved” and “gave his blessing.” Mr. Beckman maintained that upon being approached, the Stones “were just like, ‘Oh, you’re making a nice movie,’” adding that the band members were able to “get over the hurdle.”The rights to the band’s pre-1971 catalog are controlled by ABKCO, a company founded by their former manager Allen Klein. The band is generally open to sync deals — Mr. Jagger told Fortune in 2002, “We do a lot of film licensing. We get lots of requests, and I usually say yes. It’s a great business. You have a sort of price that you like to keep to, unless it’s a low-budget film and it’s a really interesting film.”The band has also angered Mr. Trump over his wife’s movie. One source told Variety that the band was reportedly not “impressed” with her film and has “made that known in private, and that has not gone down well.”The band’s history with Mr. Trump is notably contentious. In 2016 and again in 2020, they issued a cease-and-desist notice after Mr. Trump played “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” at the Republican National Convention and during campaign stops, stating publicly that they “do not endorse Donald Trump,” CNN reported.“Despite cease & desist directives to Donald Trump in the past, The Rolling Stones are taking further steps to exclude him from using their songs at any of his future political campaigning,” a spokesman for the band said in 2020.The feud dates back even further to December 1989, when the Stones had Mr. Trump ejected from his own Atlantic City Convention Center after he staged an unauthorized press conference ahead of their show.

Rolling Stones Fear Potential Visa Denials Following Dispute Over Melania Trump Documentary Music

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