The photo has once again stirred speculation about Brett Ratner’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, but the director has been quick to push back, insisting he shared no meaningful connection with the disgraced financier beyond what the image might suggest. His denial comes at a moment when Epstein’s network is under intense public scrutiny.
Tony Award–winning director Brett Ratner has publicly denied having any association with Jeffrey Epstein after newly released documents revealed a photograph showing the two men together, accompanied by two women whose identities have not been confirmed
No information was provided about the time or location of the photograph. Within the cache of documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice last week, this photo appeared with the women’s faces rendered unrecognizable.
Ratner told Fox News, “About 20 years ago, I had a girlfriend, I was in love with her, we were engaged, she was my fiancée, we went to an event, and we were sitting on the couch, and the photo was taken at that event.”
“I didn’t have a personal relationship with him, I didn’t know him. And that’s where the picture was taken. I didn’t even remember. Because I’d been asked in the past ‘Do you know him?’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t think so’ because I didn’t have a personal relationship with him.”“My fiancé invited me to that event,” he stated further. “At the time, the girl in the picture is my fiancé. And that’s it. You get thrown into these things, it’s crazy, it’s horrible.”
The documents also referenced public figures such as Jay‑Z, Pusha T, and Harvey Weinstein, though these mentions originated from tips provided to the FBI and archived during the investigation, not from Epstein’s personal files. With each new batch of documents pulling more recognizable names into the spotlight and fueling curiosity about who was drawn into his orbit.
Brett Ratner is a defining figure in modern commercial cinema, with films that have earned over $2 billion worldwide. His most notable achievement remains the Rush Hour trilogy, beginning with Rush Hour (1998), which introduced the iconic pairing of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. During the height of superhero cinema, he also directed X-Men: The Last Stand, which earned $123 million in its first four days. His filmography further includes Red Dragon (2002), The Family Man (2000), Tower Heist (2011), Hercules (2014), and, after more than ten years without a release, his re‑emergence through the documentary Melania defied projections, generating $7.04 million from 1,778 North American theaters over the weekend.
