Newly Released Emails Detail Woody Allen's Close Friendship with Jeffrey Epstein
Recently disclosed Justice Department records have revealed extensive new details about the longstanding relationship between filmmaker Woody Allen, his wife Soon-Yi Previn, and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The email trove, released in recent days, provides unprecedented insight into their personal connections and mutual support during periods of public scrutiny.
White House Access Through Epstein's Connections
One particularly notable revelation involves a 2015 White House tour arranged for Allen and Previn through Epstein's connections. In May 2015, Epstein emailed former White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler with a request: "Could you show soon yi the White House," adding, "I assume woody would be too politically sensitive?"
Ruemmler responded that she could arrange a tour for both, though she expressed doubts about Epstein's own access given his 2008 guilty plea for soliciting prostitution from a minor. White House visitor logs confirm that Allen, Previn, and Ruemmler toured the executive mansion on December 27, 2015, while President Barack Obama was vacationing in Hawaii.
Neighbors and Regular Companions in New York
The emails confirm that Allen, Previn, and Epstein were neighbors in New York City and frequently dined together. Their gatherings often included notable figures such as talk show host Dick Cavett, linguist Noam Chomsky, and the late comedian David Brenner. Epstein regularly attended screenings of Allen's films and would sometimes visit the filmmaker during editing sessions.
In a letter commissioned for Epstein's 2016 birthday celebration, Allen described their dinners as featuring a "wide variety of interesting people" with "sumptuous and abundant" food served by professional staff and "several young women reminding one of Castle Dracula."
Mutual Support During Public Scandals
The correspondence reveals that the three offered each other emotional support while facing media criticism and allegations of sexual misconduct. They frequently commiserated about what they considered unfair accusations, drawing parallels between their situations and that of Bill Cosby, who faced multiple sexual assault allegations at the time.
In one exchange, Epstein wrote: "The crowd needs a witch to burn, and there are not many left." Allen responded through Previn that his situation was "radically different" from Cosby's, noting he faced "one irate mother whose case was investigated and discredited" rather than multiple criminal charges.
Addressing the Previn Relationship Controversy
Epstein suggested that public scorn toward Allen stemmed primarily from his relationship with Previn, which he called a "publicly broken taboo." Allen responded that if this were the case, "there's nothing to be done," adding: "I'm certainly not going to dump her and I'm not going to apologize because I don't feel either of us did anything we have to apologize for."
The filmmaker emphasized that their "romantic life is our business and not the business of the public," characterizing the situation as "hopeless" because "there's no way out if that's what they're holding against us."
Background and Context
Allen's relationship with Previn began in the early 1990s when he acknowledged having an affair with the adopted daughter of his then-girlfriend Mia Farrow. Around the same time, Connecticut authorities investigated allegations that Allen had assaulted their adopted daughter Dylan Farrow. Although a prosecutor stated there was "probable cause" to charge Allen in 1993, no charges were filed.
Allen married Previn in 1997, and the couple has since adopted two daughters. Dylan Farrow's allegations resurfaced in 2014 when she published an open letter in The New York Times, leading to Allen being largely ostracized by the American film community.
It's important to note that Allen has never been accused of involvement in Epstein's alleged sexual abuse of girls and women. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Attempts to reach Allen and Previn for comment through their assistant were not immediately successful.
