Ratner, who directed the Amazon MGM Studios documentary Melania, strongly denied having any personal relationship with Epstein. His comments came after documents included a photo showing Ratner seated beside Epstein, with his arm around an unidentified woman.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Ratner said the woman in the image was his fiancée at the time and that the photo was taken at a public event around 20 years ago.
“I was engaged. She was my fiancée,” Ratner said. “We went to an event, we sat on a couch, and a photo was taken. I didn’t have a personal relationship with him. I didn’t know him.”
Ratner said he was shocked by the renewed attention around the image, adding that being pulled into the Epstein files has been upsetting.
“You get thrown into these things,” he said. “It’s crazy. It’s horrible.”
There is no suggestion in the Justice Department documents that Ratner was aware of Epstein’s criminal behavior. Epstein was convicted in 2008 of sex crimes, including soliciting prostitution from a minor, and later died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges.
The documentary Melania focuses on First Lady Melania Trump during the 20 days leading up to Donald Trump’s second inauguration last January. The film marks Ratner’s return to filmmaking after several women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017. Ratner has denied those allegations.
At the box office, Melania opened with $7.1 million, making it the strongest debut for a feature documentary in the past decade. However, the success was muted by its high costs. The film reportedly cost $40 million to license and another $35 million to market, making its financial return relatively modest despite the strong opening.
Tags:
News
