Film director Brett Ratner has publicly denied having any personal relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein following the release of additional photographs by the United States Department of Justice. The images have sparked renewed scrutiny of connections between high-profile individuals and the disgraced financier.
Television Interview Addresses Controversial Photograph
During a recent episode of "Piers Morgan Uncensored," host Piers Morgan confronted Ratner with a photograph showing the director alongside Epstein and two young women. Morgan directly questioned Ratner about his response to the image that has circulated following the DOJ document release.
"Oh, well, that picture in particular happened around 20 years ago," Ratner explained during the interview. "Because that is a photograph of my fiancée, who invited me to this event, and that's where the picture was taken. I have never been in contact with Jeffrey Epstein before that photo, and I was never in contact with him after."
Ratner's Career Context and Recent Projects
The controversy emerges as Ratner promotes his latest documentary focusing on former First Lady Melania Trump. This project marks his return to filmmaking after Hollywood largely severed ties with him following multiple accusations of sexual misconduct from several women, including actress Olivia Munn.
Despite facing scathing critical reviews and an exceptionally low score on Rotten Tomatoes, the $75 million documentary has reportedly performed better than expected at the box office. Ratner has not faced criminal charges related to the misconduct allegations.
Additional Photographic Evidence Surfaces
Further complicating the situation, previously released images show Ratner embracing Jean-Luc Brunel, a known associate of Jeffrey Epstein. Brunel was found dead in his prison cell in 2022 in what authorities determined was an apparent suicide, according to BBC reporting. French authorities had suspected Brunel of transporting young women for Epstein's trafficking network.
Ratner addressed the broader implications of being connected to Epstein through photographic evidence alone. "There's so many stories about so many different people. It's hard to really follow and track what's truth and what's not truth," Ratner told Morgan. "You could see where one photograph kind of puts me, you know, there with him and then all the stories start to spin out."
Director Maintains Innocence of Association
In a separate interview with Fox News, Ratner reiterated his position regarding Epstein. "Well, I thought, I knew who was the person in the photo. So I wasn't concerned about it at all. And I wasn't concerned about what people were gonna say or not say, because the truth is the truth," Ratner stated firmly.
He elaborated on the context of the controversial photograph: "That was my girlfriend for five years. So there was nothing else to say about it, really." Ratner emphasized that he has been unfairly drawn into the Epstein scandal through photographic association rather than actual personal connection.
The director expressed frustration about how a single image can create lasting implications, telling Morgan he feels he's "been sucked in" to the Epstein narrative through photographic evidence that doesn't reflect genuine relationships or interactions.
