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From film directors to Oscar winners, magicians and rap music titans, a who’s who of powerful people make appearances in the huge trove of documents released by the US Justice Department (DOJ) in connection with Jeffrey Epstein.
Warning: This story contains graphic and distressing content, including testimony of sexual assault.
The latest release reveals fresh figures in the world of entertainment after names like Harvey Weinstein and Woody Allen were already known to be in the files.
Being in the files does not mean the person had any involvement in Epstein’s sexual abuse of girls and women.
It is important to note the DOJ has said material in the files could include faked images or untrue allegations.
The convicted sex offender took his own life in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the notable names in entertainment whose names appear in the most recent release of the Epstein files.
Harvey Weinstein
Harvey Weinstein is named on an FBI list of prominent figures related to the Epstein case, seen in the latest drop of files.
The disgraced film producer is currently in prison for separate rape and sexual assault convictions.
It is well known that he and Epstein had a long-term relationship.
In the most recent files, there are several anonymous tips made to the FBI that accuse Weinstein of sexual misconduct.
“[Redacted] stated she gave Weinstein a massage, during which he fondled her, masturbated,” one statement said.
That same woman said Weinstein offered to pay extra for him to perform another sexual act.
Another woman said “Epstein told her to give Weinstein a massage” and during it she was asked to remove her shirt, but she refused.
Weinstein’s representatives said these claims were not verified.
“This is an unverified FBI tip, not a finding, not sworn testimony, and not evidence of anything,” his representatives told ITV News.
“Mr Weinstein denies the conduct described.”
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is featured heavily in images and emails within the Epstein files.
In fact, there are 7,122 results when you search the FBI database for his name. Epstein and Allen were close.
The disgraced financier kept a photo of Allen on his wall at his Manhattan residence and the pair were regularly photographed together in public.
The files feature iMessage chains between Allen, Epstein and redacted names in which they discuss everything from politics to “urine analysis” and “sex-averse” lovers.
These messages were sent in June 2019, just months before Epstein took his own life.
In 2013, Epstein’s assistant asked Allen’s assistant if the filmmaker would be available for a dinner at the paedophile’s house.
“That would be tremendous,” Allen’s assistant replied.
In a different iMessage chain, this time direct between Allen and Epstein, the pair sent messages back and forth as old friends would.
Allen shared multiple selfies, one alongside his wife Soon-Yi Previn, to which Epstein replies “great photo” and “You guys having fun?”
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson can be seen in various photos in the files, most notably in a portrait image of the singer and Epstein.
There is another image where Jackson is with Bill Clinton and Diana Ross, which was taken at a fundraising event. It was not an image taken by Epstein.
In the image in the files there are three blurred faces.
However, an original of the image shows the children are Ross’s son Evan Ross and Jackson’s two children Paris and Prince Jackson.
Aside from that, there are 201 results for Michael Jackson when searching the Epstein files.
The large majority of those are newsletters and entertainment guides featuring the singer’s schedule.
Epstein also hired a “kitchen guy” to do some home renovations who also was called Michael Jackson.
It does seem Epstein was a big fan of the pop star Jackson, often getting his assistant to ask for free tickets to his shows.
Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger is seen dining with Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, Bill Clinton and others in photos released by the DOJ.
The Rolling Stones frontman was also in Epstein’s black book of contacts.
In emails in the files, Epstein’s assistant mentions Jagger several times in relation to invitations to private parties.
One such email shows Jagger’s name on a list of invitees to an upcoming party at Epstein’s home.
In another email from 2010, a redacted sender said Jagger had to turn down an invite to one party but would like to connect soon.
“Mick Jagger’s assistant rang saying Mick rec’d my message and would love to come to your dinner party but is in France at the moment. She said he will be in NY after the New Year and would love to connect then,” the email shows.
Jagger has not responded to these images, but there is no suggestion he was aware of Epstein’s crimes.
Brett Ratner
The files include images of film director Brett Ratner with Epstein and several different women whose faces have been redacted.
In one photo, Ratner is embracing a woman while sitting on a couch with Epstein and another woman.
There are several emails in the files too, some showing direct contact between Epstein and Ratner, others from the paedophile’s assistant and the film director.
In one email from 2011, an unknown sender says “Hello Brett … Jeffrey would like to speak with you regarding [REDACTED]. could you please give him a call”.
Ratner has faced numerous allegations of sexual assault and harassment in his career. He most recently directed the Melania documentary.
Ratner has always denied the allegations of sexual harassment and assault against him.
The director said the only reason he was ever at Epstein’s house was because his former fiancee invited him there and it was her he was embracing in the images.
Also in the files, publicist Peggy Siegal said Ratner spent time “staying on the Australian billionaire Packer’s yacht” in 2014.
Jay Z and Pusha T
Jay Z and Pusha T, real names Shawn Carter and Terrence Thornton, are mentioned in the latest drop of the Epstein files.
Mentions of the pair did not come from Epstein himself, nor from his personal records.
The two rappers were named in a tip to the FBI that was stored in the files as part of the Epstein investigation.
An unnamed woman alleged she was abducted from her home and awoke “in the presence of Harvey Weinstein and Shawn Carter“.
She said Weinstein had inserted his fingers into her and that she believed she was in Epstein’s mansion in Florida.
The woman said Epstein would often participate in the sexual abuse.
In the same tip, the woman said she was frequently drugged and was assigned handlers, one of whom was Thornton.
The woman alleged that at one party Thornton drugged and abused her.
This tip did not result in any investigation into the two artists, and as the DOJ stated, some of the accusations posed could be “fake or falsely submitted”.
Neither artist has responded to being in the Epstein files, but there are no current investigations from the FBI into the tip.
Chris Tucker
Comedian and actor Chris Tucker flew to Africa with Bill Clinton and other celebrities on Epstein’s plane.
Tucker said the trip was for a humanitarian mission to the region but when asked, he agreed he knew Epstein.
“Yeah, I did. You know, we flew Bill Clinton and a lot of different people, that was a humanitarian trip to Africa,” he said in 2021 in a podcast interview.
Tucker was photographed posing with Maxwell on the tarmac during the trip.
“I met him on that trip because it was his plane,” Tucker said, adding that he didn’t know whose plane he was getting on.
The comedian was adamant he did not know Epstein personally.
“Yeah, I met him and, you know, you don’t know people, what they do in their private lives,” he said.
In the latest drop of the Epstein files, there are emails that appear to show Tucker organising a visit to Epstein’s home.
“Chris Tucker will be stopping by to see JE sometime before his show tonight,” one email says.
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey joined Bill Clinton and Tucker on the trip on Epstein’s plane to Africa and the Azores.
In a statement to the FBI contained in the files, doctor Greg Bledsoe, the personal physician for former president Clinton during their African tours, confirmed Spacey was on the humanitarian trip.
Dr Bledsoe alleged there were several young girls on the plane as well, in the statement in the files.
The actor’s name and details were also found in Epstein’s black book.
After the files were released showing images of Spacey, he said “release the Epstein files, all of them” in a post on X.
“For those of us with nothing to fear, the truth can’t come soon enough,” he said.
Peter Attia
Peter Attia is a doctor and fitness influencer who appeared to have had a close relationship with Epstein, according to the files.
There are more than 1,700 mentions of his name in the trove of Epstein files.
There are extensive discussions between the two about medical matters, but also some crude conversations.
“P***y is, indeed, low carb. Still awaiting results on gluten content, though,” Attia wrote in one email to Epstein sent in February 2016.
In a different email sent to Epstein’s assistant Lesley Groff, he said “I go into JE withdrawal when I don’t see him”.
In 2015, in an email exchange between the pair, Epstein emailed Attia an image with the subject line reading “Got a fresh shipment”. The image is redacted.
“Please tell [me] you found that picture online … bastard,” Attia responded.
Epstein replied “fraid not”.
Attia has since said the subject line referred to a picture of medication.
He added that Epstein responded with “a photograph of an adult woman” and his reply was “tasteless banter”.
Attia said he was “ashamed” of that exchange but denied any wrongdoing and denied ever travelling on Epstein’s plane or to his island.
He did admit to meeting with Epstein on “approximately seven or eight occasions at his New York City home”, but that was regarding research studies, he said.
Katie Couric
Katie Couric attended a dinner at Epstein’s townhouse that was held for former prince Andrew in 2010, according to the latest files.
In the documents there are several emails sent from Epstein to Couric, and also others talking about her between Epstein and his assistant.
One email shows Epstein inviting Couric to his residence for a coffee.
In 2012, Couric emailed a publicist, Peggy Siegal, in which she said, “Thanks for the Jeffrey Epstein invite … it’s brought me a world of trouble!”
Siegal then forwarded that email directly to Epstein offering her help with the media attention on him and Andrew.
“I do think you need to investigate what is going on. There is a witch hunt going on against you and Andrew,” she wrote.
David Copperfield
The latest batch of files suggests David Copperfield had a “very close relationship” with Epstein, according to FBI detectives.
In the files, a document from 2007 shows that FBI agents investigating the magician that year believed there was “a clear connection” between the pair.
Images from the latest drop also show Copperfield getting close to Maxwell while wearing white bath robes.
There is also an email chain that shows Epstein saying Copperfield “got engaged to Claudia Shiffer [Schiffer] on my island”.
According to reports, Copperfield got engaged to the German model in January 1994.
Copperfield has denied any wrongdoing in relationship to Epstein’s crimes.
His lawyers said any suggestion that he and Epstein were friends was “totally false” and Copperfield only met him a handful of times.
He “was not a friend of Jeffrey Epstein”, his lawyers told The Guardian in 2024.
David Blaine
In 2003 American magician David Blaine put on a private show for Epstein and other dinner guests at one of his properties.
Present at the dinner were Bill Clinton, former Israel PM Ehud Barak and Woody Allen, among others.
The dinner was organised by Maxwell and included a group of young women who were allegedly introduced to the group as Victoria’s Secret models.
On several occasions, Epstein’s assistant emailed the paedophile saying Blaine had asked to visit his property.
Elsewhere in the latest files, Blaine asks Epstein for help with a visa application for a woman that the magician described as a well-known performer.
He added that the woman was an “amazing fashion model”.
Blaine has not yet responded to his name or images appearing in the Epstein files.
Many more names in entertainment come up in the files because they are listed in the paedophile’s black book.
His black book is filled with names and numbers of many celebrities, but does not provide further information.
But alongside his black book, Epstein’s influence on the entertainment industry was helped by a key figure in the world of entertainment, Peggy Siegal.
The American entertainment publicist had a “30,000-strong contact list” and as seen in the files, she would mass-invite people in her network to events on behalf of Epstein.
There are 7,301 results when you search her name in the files.
Siegal said she “did not know” that Epstein had ever abused underage girls.
“That just wasn’t common knowledge,” she told Variety magazine in 2019.
However, in 2020, Siegal told Vanity Fair that Epstein “said he’d served his time and assured me that he changed his ways”.
The latest files suggest the pair were closer than Siegal acknowledged.
“Peggy says she does not want young girls with no last names at the screening on Wed. night of The Campaign. She says the press will be there … she requests ‘over 30’.”
