In brief
Brett Ratner, the director of Melania Trump's documentary, has been photographed with Jeffrey Epstein and two unidentified women, as released by the US Department of Justice. While the context of the images remains unclear, they come at a time when Ratner is already under scrutiny due to his recent film's connection to the Trump administration and previous allegations of sexual misconduct. The photographs are part of a larger set related to Epstein's activities before his 2019 death.
The director of the new documentary on US First Lady Melania Trump, Brett Ratner, has appeared embracing a young woman in images released by the US Department of Justice on Friday.
Ratner, known for his work on films like Rush Hour and X-Men: The Last Stand, is seen on a sofa beside the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and two women whose identities have been obscured.
The timing of the images is unclear, but they seem to have been taken at the same location as previous released photographs of Ratner with Epstein and the late French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, which were publicized in December.
There is no indication of wrongdoing from the files. The BBC has reached out to Ratner's representative for comment.
The newly released images are part of millions of documents relating to Epstein, who died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
A series of thumbnails from the release shows a relaxed Ratner with Epstein and Brunel alongside various women, all of whom have had their identities concealed.
The law surrounding the files' release mandates redaction to protect victims and ongoing investigations; however, some survivors' identities were reported to be disclosed within the file release.
The documents came out the same day as Ratner's film, Melania: 20 Days to History, which details the first lady's life leading up to her husband's inauguration in January 2025. The documentary has faced backlash from critics for its associations with the Trump administration.
This is Ratner's first project since allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against him during the #MeToo movement in 2017, which he has denied.
The files have unveiled additional information about Epstein's connections with notable figures, including Elon Musk and Prince Andrew, and also included unsettling images of the latter that have sparked further outrage.
Brunel, who had ties to Epstein, was found dead in his Paris prison cell in 2022 in an apparent suicide while facing serious charges of trafficking minors for sexual exploitation.
