'Super suspect': Melania Trump's publisher makes 'unusual demand' of CNN
Melania Trump’s book publisher demanded hundreds of thousands of dollars from CNN in exchange for a television interview with the former first lady, the cable news network reported Thursday.
Skyhorse Publishing sent CNN a “Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Agreement” setting strict terms for coverage of her book "Melania," slated for release on Oct. 8, that included an unusual request which CNN did not oblige, according to the report.
“CNN shall pay a licensing fee of two hundred fifty thousand dollars," the document read.
Skyhorse Publishing president Tony Lyons later said the $250,000 payment demand was sent by mistake without the knowledge of Melania Trump or her team, CNN reported.
“Had CNN signed an NDA, in the normal course of business," Lyons said in a statement, "we would have approached Melania’s team to discuss [specifics of the interview]."
Hadas Gold and Pamala Brown, the CNN reporters who broke the story, discussed the demand on air Thursday afternoon.
"Coming from a supposedly professional team," Gold said, "this is completely unprecedented and extremely unusual."
"Two hundred and fifty thousand is exact the same amount she's been paid for other things," added Brown. "Just putting that out there."
Melania Trump was paid about that amount for an April event that appeared on former President Donald Trump's recent campaign finance disclosure forms, according to the report.
Fox News said it has not paid Melania Trump for recent interviews.
The document specifically noted the payment would be for an interview with CNN and stipulated any breach would entitle Melania Trump to a $100,000 liquidated damages fee, the network reported.
It reportedly had signature lines for Lyons, Melania Trump's agent Marc Beckman and CNN.
"Even if the contract was sent as an 'internal miscommunication' it’s an unusual request from the publisher of such a high-profile individual," the report states.
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CNN noted that it is "highly frowned upon" to pay a public figure for an interview — more so when the figure is a presidential nominee's wife and the price tag is so large.
“It’s totally unprecedented," Kate Anderson Brower, author of “First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies," told CNN. "No former first lady has ever done that."
Anita McBride, director of The Legacies of America’s First Ladies Initiative at American University, told CNN first ladies can receive hefty fees for writing books but compensation for news interviews was unusual.
Said McBride, “It’s super suspect that a political figure’s spouse would want to be paid for something."