'Vanity Fair' Photographer Shares Images of Epstein and Details Chilling Encounter

Learning of the crimes, both proven and alleged, of the late Jeffrey Epstein has ushered in one of America's darkest chapters. A chapter where we grapple with the secrets hidden among the powerful who lead us, and as we, as a country, decide just how far we are willing to chase justice.

Epstein's documented exploitation and abuse of countless children has become one of the largest and all-too-real horror stories of the 21st century.

Getting glimpses into what his life was like has been both chilling and enlightening, as photos released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee in batches from Epstein's estate have revealed that the monster behind the crimes was actually just a man, albeit a monstrous one.

In January 2026, one photographer from Vanity Fair found some old photos of Epstein in an unexpected place, taking to social media to share the photos and his harrowing story.

Photographer Christopher Anderson took to Instagram with a series of photos taken of Epstein from circa 2015. The batch includes an up-close photo of Epstein's face, as well as the convicted s-x offender in various places around his personal residence.

Christopher wrote of the photos, "Yes, that’s Jeffrey Epstein. In 2015, I was assigned by @jodyquon @NYMag to make a portrait of Epstein to accompany an article by @michaelwolffnyc.

"I didn’t know much about him, other than the fact that he had heavy connections to powerful men."

He added, "He wanted to meet me before the shoot to negotiate buying out the pictures after publication."

Christopher explains that after the photo shoot, Epstein wrote Christopher a check for $20,000. "The magazine had already given me permission to make such an arrangement, and we made it clear that he wouldn’t see any of the pictures until after publication.

"Several days later, he decided to pull out of the story and started calling me to demand the pictures. I reiterated that the pictures were not his until after publication."

He added, "Then the threats started. He sent his bodyguard/driver, Merwin, a massive guy in a long black overcoat and black leather gloves, to my studio to intimidate me (it worked). Epstein succeeded in threatening the magazine, too, and they killed the story."

Epstein's man came to collect the hard drive containing the photos, and Christopher forgot about them until he found a copy on a hard drive somewhere in his house.

In the comments of Christopher's post, many users marveled that he was able to escape with his life. Epstein is known for being both powerful and dangerous, and the threats were not to be considered idle.

But Christopher has walked the line with powerful people other times, too. In fact, you might recognize his work from a famous 2025 Vanity Fair article, which showed the inner circle of President Donald Trump in a most unflattering light.

Christopher's photoshoots of powerful people show that he's interested in revealing the truth, even when it might be dangerous. Without his professional determination, we wouldn't have the new series of photos of Epstein, or the story about how Epstein tried to frighten a young photographer into silence. Stories that, while just a small part of the bigger picture, continue to point to dark and horrifying world hidden in plain sight by the most powerful people.