Jack Horner, a well-known dinosaur expert who served as a scientific consultant on the Jurassic Park franchise, is no longer affiliated with Chapman University after his name appeared in documents connected to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

A spokesperson for Chapman University confirmed the development but declined to specify whether Horner resigned or was dismissed from the California-based institution.

The issue emerged after emails included in recently released Epstein-related records showed Horner communicated with Epstein in 2012 and visited Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico while seeking financial backing for research.

In a statement to the BBC, Horner said he regretted not investigating Epstein’s background more thoroughly before interacting with him.

“In retrospect, I regret that I did not investigate Epstein's background beyond what was commonly known at the time,” Horner said, adding that he had not typically researched the backgrounds of potential donors during his career.

Horner also said that during his visit to Epstein’s ranch, he did not observe any behavior that suggested the criminal conduct later associated with Epstein.

“When the full extent of Epstein's crimes became public in 2019, I reflected upon my limited interactions with him,” Horner said, describing his time at the ranch as brief and uneventful.

Emails cited in the released documents included a message from Horner after his visit thanking Epstein for hospitality and referring to “Jeffrey and the girls” as gracious hosts. Horner later said the women referenced in that message had been introduced to him as college students.

Horner is widely known in both scientific and popular culture circles for his contributions to dinosaur research and his work with the entertainment industry. He helped advise filmmakers on paleontology for the long-running “Jurassic Park” film series, which was based on the 1990 novel by author Michael Crichton.

Horner also served as part of the inspiration for the fictional paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant, a central character in the franchise.

The situation at Chapman University follows broader scrutiny of individuals whose names have surfaced in documents tied to Epstein. Universities and institutions across the United States have been reviewing potential past connections between faculty members and the late financier.