Vanity Fair photographer Christopher Anderson discovered never-before-seen photographs of Jeffrey Epstein on an old hard drive while preparing to move to Europe, years after believing the images had been destroyed.
Anderson photographed Epstein at his New York City townhome for a story that was eventually spiked, Vanity Fair reported.
Epstein's bodyguard, Merwin, described as a massive man in a long black overcoat and leather gloves, was sent to Anderson's studio to intimidate him into surrendering the photos — a tactic that succeeded. Vanity Fair described the recovered images as "stark, emotionless, quiet, and haunting."
Anderson recalled photographing Epstein's mantelpiece displaying photographs of Woody Allen, former President Bill Clinton, and President Donald Trump, though at the time, Trump received little attention. Anderson approached the shoot as a "clear-eyed observer," noting he sensed something was off about Epstein during the session.
He expressed surprise that the photographs and their subjects would eventually become a global story.
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