Woody Allen has revealed that Jeffrey Epstein “couldn’t have been nicer” when he and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn, were invited to a series of dinners at the disgraced financier’s home.
The filmmaker explained that he had never met Epstein before attending a dinner in December 2010, where the Duke of York was also present. Allen, now 89, told The Sunday Times that the invitation had come through a publicist and included “one of those British royals” alongside other high-profile guests.
“We didn’t know Jeffrey at all then, but we see all these people there and they all embraced him, so we figured, ‘OK, he’s a substantial character’,” Allen recalled.
According to the director, Epstein openly admitted during the dinner that he had served time in jail but insisted he had been “falsely put in jail in some way.” Allen said Epstein claimed he was attempting to repair his reputation by donating to scientific research and universities. “He told us he was trying to make up for it now by being philanthropic and giving money to cutting-edge scientists and universities. He couldn’t have been nicer.”
Allen noted that Soon-Yi had particularly wanted to meet Prince Andrew at the dinner, though her impression of the royal was less than flattering. She later said she “could not stand” Andrew, calling him “such a dullard.”
The director also emphasized that he never witnessed Epstein with underage girls during any of these gatherings. “We never, ever, saw Jeffrey with underage girls. He always had a girlfriend but never an underage girlfriend,” Allen said. He also confirmed that Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, was not present at the dinners he attended.
Epstein’s death in 2019, while being held in a New York jail on sex trafficking charges, remains one of the most controversial episodes tied to his scandal. His long list of high-profile acquaintances continues to fuel scrutiny. The Duke of York, once among Epstein’s most notable associates, was forced to step away from royal duties after the backlash over their friendship and ultimately paid millions to settle a civil case brought by Virginia Giuffre — a woman he maintains he never met.
