Recently emerged photographs and archival video have shown that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein attended Donald Trump's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples, which took place at the Plaza Hotel in New York City—an appearance that had gone unnoticed until now.
CNN, upon examining the recently discovered images, recognized Epstein in the wedding party, including recognizable faces like radio personality Howard Stern and his then-wife Alison Stern, entertainment reporter Robin Leach, and model Cecilia Nord.
Among the few snaps taken of Epstein at the event was by photographer Dafydd Jones, who was assigned to report on the wedding. In an interview with CNN, Jones said, "I must have recognised him going in," adding that the photograph was from a contact sheet, as the original negatives had long disappeared. "I wish now I took more of him with Trump," he said.
More video footage released from a Victoria's Secret fashion show in 1999 depicts Trump and Epstein conversing and laughing before the event. CNN verified the pair were spotted together in other 1990s videos and were also photographed at a 1997 Victoria's Secret Angels event.
Epstein, who managed billionaire Leslie Wexner's finances from 1987 to 2007, was closely associated with power brokers at the time. Wexner, the founder of the parent company of Victoria's Secret, has publicly declared that he had no knowledge of Epstein's criminal activities when they were in a professional relationship.
When CNN contacted Donald Trump for a comment on the wedding photos, he reportedly responded, “You’ve got to be kidding me,” before hanging up and accusing the network of being “fake news.”
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung also dismissed the revelations. “This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media,” Cheung said.
Trump and Epstein's relationship is reported to have started in the 1980s, with several documented sightings at high-society parties in both Palm Beach and New York. Ex-model Stacey Williams, who dated Epstein, characterized their relationship as very close. "They were best friends," she asserted. "They were close and were up to no good."
Photos taken in 2000 at a Palm Beach Post gathering featured Trump with Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Prince Andrew at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. Maxwell is currently serving 20 years in prison after being convicted of sex trafficking.
In another instance, The Wall Street Journal recently covered a birthday card purportedly signed by Trump to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. The card was said to have a drawing of a nude woman and a printed note stating, "Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret."
Trump has denied having anything to do with the card or the note and has sued the WSJ for defamation for $10 million over the story.
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