A fresh batch of files concerning the investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's network has spotlighted several high-profile people. Besides US President Donald Trump and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Brett Ratner, the director of the newly released documentary, "Melania", also appears on the list.
Ratner appeared to be embracing a young woman in the images released by the US Justice Department. The Rush Hour director is seen sitting on a sofa beside Epstein and two women, whose identities have been concealed, the BBC reported.
The photos appear to be taken in the same location as photos of Epstein and Ratner alongside the French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, released in December. When the new images were taken remains unclear.
Several photos show Ratner, Epstein and Brunel relaxing and smiling with different women. Their identities have been obscured. No indication of wrongdoing was indicated from the files, the British broadcaster said.
Ratner's representative has not responded publicly.
Brett Ratner's Latest Project
The photos, part of a tranche of millions of documents made public by the US Justice Department, were released the same day as Melania: 20 Days to History, a documentary offering a behind-the-scenes look at the first lady's life before Donald Trump's January 2025 inauguration.
It was Ratner's first project since he was accused of sexual harassment and assault by six women in 2017. The director has dismissed the allegations.
Melania Trump's documentary has received dismal ratings from critics. Not just that, around two-thirds of the crew members who worked on the project had requested not to have their names formally credited on the film, Rolling Stone reported.
Many also faced problems collaborating with Ratner, describing the 56-year-old as “slimy” and “the worst part of working on this project.”
About The Epstein Files
The latest cache of the Epstein Files was released on Friday and includes three million pages, 2,000 videos and 1,80,000 images. The documents referenced several big names, including Tesla chief Elon Musk, British billionaire Richard Branson and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Several people previously linked to Epstein have denied any wrongdoing.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking of underage girls.
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