Jack Horner, the paleontologist who consulted on the Jurassic Park films and inspired the character Dr. Alan Grant, is no longer affiliated with Chapman University after emails he sent about visits to Jeffrey Epstein's New Mexico ranch were released. The 2012 messages include Horner's line that "Jeffrey and the girls were very gracious hosts." Horner denies wrongdoing, says he regrets not investigating Epstein's background, and notes he visited the ranch again in 2016 on a geology tour. Chapman has not confirmed whether Horner resigned or was dismissed.
Paleontologist Jack Horner Leaves Chapman University After 2012 Emails to Jeffrey Epstein Surface
A paleontologist who was a consultant on the Jurassic Park movies is no longer with Chapman University after emails he wrote to Jeffrey Epstein were released. File Photo by Peter Foley/UPI
Jack Horner, the prominent paleontologist who consulted on the Jurassic Park films and served as the inspiration for the novels' Dr. Alan Grant, is no longer affiliated with Chapman University after emails he exchanged about Jeffrey Epstein were made public.
The correspondence, dated 2012, includes messages describing visits to Epstein's New Mexico ranch and a line from Horner saying, "Jeffrey and the girls were very gracious hosts." Those visits occurred years after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Horner has issued a statement denying any wrongdoing. He said he "regrets that I did not investigate Epstein's background beyond what was commonly known at the time" and added that he did not observe anything he considered "weird or suspicious" during his visits.
Horner also said he regrets using the term "girls," explaining the phrase referred to four women who "were introduced to me as college students." He told reporters he returned to Epstein's property in 2016 with a graduate student "as part of a geology tour."
The released messages additionally indicate Horner discussed potential research funding with Epstein.
Chapman University has not confirmed whether Horner resigned or was dismissed. Horner had served as a lecturer at Chapman in Orange, California, and consulted on several of the Jurassic Park films. The university and Horner have not provided further details about his departure.
What We Know
Timeline: Epstein's guilty plea came in 2008; the Horner emails date to 2012; Horner reportedly visited the ranch again in 2016. All of these dates frame public scrutiny around the nature of Horner's interactions and any professional ties to Epstein.
Horner: "Jeffrey and the girls were very gracious hosts."
The disclosures have prompted renewed media attention given Epstein's criminal history and the high-profile nature of some people who associated with him. Further developments may depend on statements from Chapman University or Horner himself.
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