Jimmy Kimmel Roasts Fox News for Claiming “Melania” Should Win an Oscar

Jimmy Kimmel roasted Fox News during his February 2 monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live over the surprising praise for the documentary Melania.

The film, which follows First Lady Melania Trump in the days leading up to Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration, recently debuted with a $7 million box office. Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany called it deserving of an Oscar nomination, saying, “If she was to go, she would be the best dressed by a long shot.”

Kimmel didn’t hold back. “Mark my words right now, if ‘Melania’ gets nominated for an Oscar, I will host that show. Whether they ask me to or not. I will insist on it,” he said as the audience cheered.

He also poked fun at the film’s poor critic reviews, noting that it has a 7% score on Rotten Tomatoes compared to Fox News’ glowing endorsement: “On Fox News it’s got a strong 100%.”

The late-night host has previously criticized the movie, calling it a “$75 million bribe” that Amazon produced for the First Lady. He also mocked its box office debut, joking that it “set a record. It was the biggest opening for a non-musical vanity project/brazen corporate bribe in the last 10 years.”

Kimmel, a four-time Oscars host, has a history of taking shots at Trump during awards ceremonies. In 2024, he read aloud a social media post from the president attacking his hosting skills, in front of the live audience. Kimmel fired back onstage with humor, saying, “Blah, blah, blah … Okay, now, see if you can guess which former president just posted that on TruthSocial. Anyone? No? Well, thank you, President Trump. Thank you for watching, I’m surprised you’re still — isn’t it past your jail time?”

Conan O’Brien took over Oscars hosting duties last year and is set to return in March, but Kimmel’s comments suggest he isn’t ready to step away from the ceremony entirely.

Kimmel’s humor highlights the absurdity of media hype versus critical reception. While Melania may spark conversation, it seems clear that audience and critic opinions don’t always match celebrity endorsements. What do you think—should films like Melania be taken seriously for awards, or is this just a media circus? Share your thoughts in the comments.