Epstein Emails Reveal He Facilitated White House Tour for Woody Allen
Newly disclosed emails from the Justice Department's extensive document release have provided unprecedented insight into the longstanding friendship between filmmaker Woody Allen and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The correspondence reveals that Epstein actively assisted Allen and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn, in arranging a private tour of the White House in 2015.
White House Access Through Epstein's Connections
In May 2015, Epstein leveraged his political connections to facilitate the Washington visit. He emailed former White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler, who served under President Barack Obama, with a specific request. "Could you show soon yi the White House," Epstein wrote, adding, "I assume woody would be too politically sensitive?"
Ruemmler responded affirmatively, indicating she could arrange access for both Allen and Previn, though she expressed reservations about Epstein's own eligibility to join them. "You are too politically sensitive, I think," she noted, referencing Epstein's 2008 guilty plea for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Official White House records confirm that Allen, Previn, and Ruemmler toured the executive mansion on December 27, 2015, while President Obama was vacationing in Hawaii.
Deepening Friendship and Mutual Support
The email trove illustrates a relationship that extended far beyond casual acquaintance. Allen, Previn, and Epstein were neighbors in New York City and frequently dined together. Their correspondence reveals they offered each other emotional support during periods of intense media scrutiny and public criticism.
Notably, they commiserated about facing allegations of sexual misconduct, which they consistently characterized as unfair. The social circle included various prominent figures, with talk show host Dick Cavett, linguist Noam Chomsky, and the late comedian David Brenner occasionally joining their dinners. Epstein regularly attended screenings of Allen's films and would sometimes visit the director during editing sessions.
Shared Perspectives on Public Scandal
The emails contain revealing discussions about how Allen, Previn, and Epstein perceived their respective public controversies. In 2016 correspondence, they compared their situations to that of Bill Cosby, who faced numerous allegations of sexual assault at the time.
"The crowd needs a witch to burn, and there are not many left," Epstein wrote in one exchange. Allen, communicating through Previn, distinguished his circumstances from Cosby's, stating his case involved "one irate mother whose case was investigated and discredited," referring to Mia Farrow.
Epstein suggested that public hostility toward Allen stemmed primarily from his relationship with Previn, which he described as a "publicly broken taboo." Allen responded that if this were indeed the core issue, "there's nothing to be done," asserting that their romantic life remained their private business.
Historical Context and Ongoing Controversies
The correspondence frequently references the scandals that have surrounded Allen since the early 1990s, when he acknowledged his affair with Previn, the adopted daughter of his then-partner Mia Farrow. Around the same period, Connecticut authorities investigated allegations that Allen had assaulted another adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow.
Although a prosecutor stated in 1993 that there was "probable cause" to charge Allen, no case was pursued. Allen has consistently denied any wrongdoing and married Previn in 1997. Dylan Farrow's allegations resurfaced prominently in 2014 through an open letter published in The New York Times, contributing to Allen's subsequent marginalization within the American film industry.
Epstein's Role and Final Years
The emails indicate that Previn often served as an intermediary between Epstein and Allen, suggesting she maintained a particularly close relationship with the financier. Epstein took his own life in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. There is no evidence in the released correspondence suggesting Allen had any involvement in Epstein's alleged sexual abuse of girls and women.
Requests for comment sent to representatives for Allen and Previn were not immediately returned. The newly public emails provide a detailed window into the social dynamics and mutual support among figures who maintained relationships with Epstein despite his status as a registered sex offender and the widespread media coverage of his legal troubles.
