Epstein's connection to Woody Allen's daughter's college admissions. New revelations from the documents of the Department of Justice
Woody Allen. Credit line: Lorena SopêNa / Zuma Press / Profimedia
Jeffrey Epstein helped the great American director Woody Allen and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn, when one of their daughters applied for college, putting the family in touch with the president of Bard College, according to emails made public by the US Department of Justice, The New York Times reports, quoted by News.ro.
Bard President Leon Botstein agreed to help, and the couple's daughter, Bechet Allen, ended up attending Bard College, graduating in May 2021, according to her LinkedIn account.
“I can't thank you enough for helping Bechet get into Bard,” one message to Epstein, dated Jan. 11, 2017, reads, according to the documents.
The message comes from Woody Allen's account, but appears to be written by Previn, who mentions Allen in the note.
Bechet Allen didn't seem to know that her family was looking for help with her request. “I think it's better for Bechet to work hard and not know in advance that she's been accepted, so that when she gets into Bard, she'll have worked hard and really want to go there,” the sender added. “Thank you for helping us.”
Reaction from Bard College
The Allen family has not yet responded to the allegations
According to President Bard, a spokesman for Botstein said Epstein was “a serial liar who apparently took credit for the sunrise every day.”
“The applicant mentioned in the emails was accepted based on her own qualifications for admission. Bard had already provided a welcoming community for two family members, and an introduction from people like Epstein was not necessary,” said David Wade, Botstein's spokesman.
Bard College, a private liberal arts college in New York, admits about 40% of applicants.
The spokesperson said Botstein “often reassures anxious parents and families going through the admissions process and responds to dozens of requests each year for visits or admissions talks from alumni, supporters and people in the wider community, as he has done for 50 years.”
“The only difference here is Epstein's obvious effort to convince a family that his voice was important,” the spokesman added.
The emails were among about 3 million pages of documents collected by the Justice Department in the years-long investigation into Epstein, who killed himself in prison in 2019.
The documents include new details about the relationship between prominent figures, including President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton, and Epstein. Previously published documents already showed how Epstein exerted his influence and relationships in higher education, maintaining friendships with influential academics over the years, such as Larry Summers, the former president of Harvard University.
Epstein had known Botstein, Bard's president, for many years. In interviews with The New York Times in 2023, Botstein, an energetic fundraiser, said he was trying to get Epstein to donate to his school. Keeping his small liberal arts college afloat often meant seeking money from dubious donors, he told the Times in 2023. “Capitalism is a tough system,” he said at the time.
