Recently uncovered photographs have confirmed for the first time that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein attended former U.S. President Donald Trump’s 1993 wedding to Marla Maples. The event took place at the Plaza Hotel in New York, and until now, Epstein’s presence at the ceremony had never been publicly known.
The images, obtained from archival footage by CNN’s KFile, also include clips from a 1999 Victoria’s Secret fashion show in which Trump and Epstein are seen chatting and laughing together.
These materials were captured years before Epstein’s criminal activities became widely known and resurface amid ongoing scrutiny of Trump’s former ties to Epstein.
CNN’s investigation comes on the heels of public frustration with the U.S. Department of Justice for withholding long-awaited files concerning Epstein and his network of alleged co-conspirators.
When contacted by CNN, Trump dismissed the photos, telling a reporter, “You’ve got to be kidding me,” before abruptly ending the call and labeling the network “fake news.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the president, calling the visuals “out-of-context frame grabs of widely attended events” and accused the media of using them to suggest “something sinister.” Cheung reiterated that Trump had previously banned Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club for “being a creep.”
Epstein and Trump were known to have a social relationship in the 1980s and 1990s, often seen together at elite gatherings in Palm Beach and New York. NBC footage from 1992 showed them mingling at a party, and a year later, society photographer Dafydd Jones captured images of them at the Harley-Davidson Café opening. Jones also confirmed that he photographed Epstein arriving at Trump’s wedding.
Other photos found in the LIFE archive and Getty Images show Epstein in the background of events attended by Trump, including a 1997 Victoria’s Secret Angels party. Epstein’s connection to Victoria’s Secret dates back to his financial management of founder Leslie Wexner’s fortune from 1987 until around 2007. Wexner has since claimed he was unaware of Epstein’s alleged misconduct.
In a 2002 New York Magazine profile, Trump described Epstein as “a terrific guy” and added, “It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” Flight logs show Trump flew on Epstein’s private jets at least seven times, with trips mainly between Palm Beach and New York.
Trump also mentioned Epstein in his 2004 book Trump: How To Get Rich, referring to him as “the mysterious Jeffrey,” and writing, “As mysterious as Jeffrey is, he’s one of the few people I know who can get by on just a first name.”
In 2000, The Palm Beach Post published photos of Trump alongside Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Prince Andrew at a charity event at Mar-a-Lago. Maxwell, a key Epstein associate, is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for sex trafficking.
More recently, The Wall Street Journal revealed a birthday card allegedly sent from Trump to Epstein in 2003, which included a nude sketch and the message: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” Trump has denied both drawing the image and writing the note, and he has filed a libel lawsuit against the publication.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is facing pressure to unseal Epstein-related files and has reportedly contacted Maxwell’s legal team. Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, told CNN, “Ghislaine will always testify truthfully. We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case.”
A federal judge overseeing Maxwell’s proceedings has instructed the DOJ to submit grand jury records to evaluate whether further Epstein transcripts should be released to the public.
