Celebrity9 min(s) read
Here are the celebrities who have addressed the appearance of their names in the Epstein files.
Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to traffic minors. He pleaded not guilty.
Before the case went to trial, the disgraced financier died in a New York jail, and his death was ruled a suicide.
Seven years later, the US Department of Justice released several batches of documents related to Epstein, including records from flight logs, emails, and correspondence.
Numerous famous names appear in the documents, including Prince Andrew, J.K. Rowling, Bill Gates, Whoopi Goldberg, and Naomi Campbell.
However, the context in which people are mentioned varies, and appearing in the files does not by itself indicate wrongdoing or involvement in Epstein's crimes.
Several celebrities have since spoken publicly to explain why their names appeared in the documents.
During a February 2026 episode of The View, the 70-year-old actress said her name appeared in the files because of a discussion about arranging a flight to Monaco.
"In the name of transparency, my name is in the files, yes!" the Oscar winner said. "And what does it say? ‘Whoopi needs a plane to get to Monaco. John Lennon’s charity is paying for it.’ It should say Julian’s Charity. ‘They don’t want to charter, so they are looking for private owners. Here’s the info,’ and they give all the information and they are saying do you want to offer your G2?"
Goldberg stressed that she was never friends with Epstein.
"I wasn’t his girlfriend. I wasn’t his friend," she said. "I’m speaking about me because I’m getting dragged. People actually believe that I was with him. Honey, come on. Every man I’ve been with, you’ve known about him because either the Enquirer wrote about it. People wrote about this stuff."
The actress also said she never traveled on Epstein's plane because she is afraid of flying.
The British supermodel's name appeared in emails, schedules, and call sheets written by Epstein's assistants.
Campbell later issued a statement through her lawyer, Martin Singer, denying that she had known about Epstein's crimes before his 2019 arrest.
"Prior to Epstein’s 2019 arrest in New York, my client knew nothing about his appalling criminal conduct," Singer said in a statement to Black Enterprise. "If my client had ever encountered any young woman whom she thought was being victimized by Epstein, she would have personally taken immediate action to help her."
Tony Hawk found himself mentioned in the files in an email that claimed he had been married on Epstein's private island.
The skateboarder denied that account and explained that the apparent confusion stemmed from photographs taken at his 2006 wedding to his ex-wife, Lhotse Merriam.
"One of the guests in 2006 shot photos of the Fiji ceremony and licensed them to Getty Images," Hawk explained. "His name is [coincidentally] Mark Epstein. An accomplished action sports photographer from Wyoming and of no relation to Jeffrey Epstein (who I never met and whose island I never visited). This is all easily verifiable information. Facts are not fungible."
Jon Stewart took a funnier approach after discovering his name in the files.
He spoke about it during a February 2026 episode of The Daily Show, saying: "Of course, to get ahead of the story, I am also in the files. We all searched our names, right?"
The TV host explained that his name came up during a 2015 email exchange between Epstein and producer Barry Josephson concerning the potential next career move for someone named "Woody".
"I take you to the scene: It is midnight, Aug. 29, 2015. Jeffrey Epstein lies wide awake, his mind turning with ideas."
Epstein suggested that Woody should "do a new stand-up routine for either Apple TV or Amazon".
"Jeffrey Epstein always had his finger on the pulse of what America was clamoring for in 2015!" Stewart joked. "But Barry Josephson, thinking like the out-of-the-box television professional that he was, pitched this idea. This is true, quote: ‘Make a true biographical experience with his stand-up being the capper. Somebody like Jon Stewart could host/narrate the biographical part.’"
Stewart continued: "Excuse me? I am offended! Somebody like Jon Stewart, or Jon Stewart?! My point is, do I have the offer, or is this an audition?"
Bill Gates has also addressed his past connection to Epstein after his name appeared in the files.
Among the documents was an unsent email in which Epstein alleged that Gates had sexual relations with two "Russian girls" and contracted a sexually transmitted infection. Gates denied the allegations.
"Apparently, Jeffrey wrote an email to himself. That email was never sent," Gates told 9 News Australia. "The email is false. I don’t know what his thinking was there. Was he trying to attack me in some way?"
Gates added: "Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologize that I did that."
The tech founder also denied ever visiting Epstein's island.
"I never went to the island, I never met any women," he told the outlet. "And so, the more that comes out, the more clear it’ll be that, although the time was a mistake, it had nothing to do with that kind of behavior."
Later that month, Gates discussed Epstein during a Gates Foundation company town hall.
"It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein," Gates said, per a recording obtained by The Wall Street Journal. "I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made."
Gates maintained that he never did or witnessed anything "illicit" while spending time with Epstein.
"To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him," he alleged.
A Gates Foundation spokesperson told the outlet that Gates holds town halls with his staff twice a year, adding that he "spoke candidly, addressing several questions in detail, and took responsibility for his actions" during the meeting.
Joy Behar addressed her own appearance in the files during a February 2026 episode of The View.
"That list has a lot of crazy names on it. It’s almost a way to muddy the waters," she said during the show's Hot Topics segment. "So you say Whoopi [Goldberg’s] on the list and so am I, I think. We’re on the list because we were at a party or a wedding or something that somebody [else] might’ve been [at]. That’s what I found out."
Behar continued: "I was at [Donald] Trump‘s wedding to Marla [Maples]. Maybe Epstein was there too? Who knows! That means that I’m not guilty, obviously, but these other ones, how are you going to decide who’s guilty and who’s not? It’s very tricky."
Gigi Hadid responded to questions surrounding her name in the files after an Instagram user slammed her for not speaking about the issue.
Replying to the comment in March 2026, the model wrote: "Made me sick to my stomach."
"Horrible to read someone you’ve never met speak about you that way," she continued. "Especially in this context. Never in my life met the monster - to me it was so obvious, in that email chain, he tried to take responsibility for people’s careers in order to manipulate his victims (in this case, whoever was emailing him questions about my career) … who never saw the work he claimed he’d get them."
Hadid explained that she initially chose not to comment because she did not want attention diverted from Epstein's victims.
"I didn’t comment bc I don’t want to take away from the stories of the real victims of his; but your comment made me realize maybe it’s not clear - and it’s important to let you know - I grew up privileged, yes. But my parents protected me and taught me the value of hard work, the same hard work that got them to this country and gave them careers."
Hadid described being named in the files as "disturbing," concluding: "And I want to state unequivocally that I have never had any affiliation with that disgusting human being."
