Brett Ratner, the successful film director behind the popular “Rush Hour” films and director of the new biographical film about Melania Trump, was exposed a second time in the Justice Department’s publication of Jeffrey Epstein files, only this time with photographs of him “cuddling” a young woman alongside Epstein.
Ratner was first exposed in the DOJ’s release of Epstein files in December, photographed embracing a shirtless Jean-Luc Brunel, a French model scout and owner of a modeling agency with significant financial backing from Epstein. Brunel died by apparent suicide in 2022 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, much like Epstein allegedly had in 2019.
On Friday, the DOJ released another 3.5 million Epstein files, and buried within them were several never-before-seen photographs of Ratner embracing what appears to be a young woman on a couch next to Epstein.
In the photograph, the face of the woman being embraced by Ratner is redacted, suggesting that the woman is either a victim of Epstein’s or a minor, given that the Epstein Files Transparency Act – the legislation that compelled the DOJ to release the Epstein files – only allows for redactions to protect the identities of minors or victims.
Ratner’s appearance in the Epstein files is not an indication of wrongdoing, and Ratner has not been accused of a crime and is not facing any criminal charges.
Ratner made his directorial debut in the 1990s with the release of his film “Money Talks,” and went on to direct 2000’s “The Family Man,” 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand,” and the “Rush Hour” trilogy. In 2018, however, he was ousted from Hollywood after being accused of rape and sexual midconduct.
Ratner would move to Israel in 2023 before returning to filmmaking with the film “Melania,” which released on Friday to abysmal reviews. He’s also set to direct “Rush Hour 4” after the project was greenlit by Paramount, and reportedly after President Donald Trump had “lobbied” hard for the studio to take up Ratner’s project.