Jeffrey Epstein Documentaries, Books See Renewed Interest As Pressure Builds on Trump to Release Files

Jeffrey Epstein Documentaries, Books See Renewed Interest As Pressure Builds on Trump to Release Files

Nearly six years after Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his jail cell, the disgraced billionaire is back in the headlines amid mounting pressure for President Donald Trump to release the Epstein files. Among them is former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon, who recently revealed an in-the-works docuseries about Epstein culled from video footage that was originally from a planned sit-down interview meant to rehab his public image.

(The Wall Street Journal reported that the Justice Department in May told Trump that his name appeared in the Epstein files. The DOJ earlier this month released a memo saying there was no evidence of a so-called “client list,” and CNN notes that Miami Herald reporter Julie K. Brown, whose investigative series led to the arrest of Epstein and his longtime confidante, Ghislaine Maxwell, also supports that there’s no evidence of such a list.)

During his second presidential campaign, Trump promised MAGA supporters he would release the files related to his former friend, who was awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking of underage girls and women when he died after hanging himself on Aug. 10, 2019. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of helping Epstein, and is the only other person to be arrested and convicted in connection with the case.

On July 17, the WSJ revealed a birthday letter book compiled by Ghislaine for Epstein containing messages from Trump, former President Bill Clinton, fashion designer Vera Wang and billionaire Leon Black, among others. Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against News Corp. for defamation and named former ally Rupert Murdoch in the complaint.

Epstein was first investigated in 2005 after the parents of a 14-year-old girl alleged that he paid her for a massage at his mansion in Palm Beach, Fla. In 2007, a federal draft indictment was submitted with 60 criminal cases against the New York financier. Then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta agreed to drop the investigation if Epstein pled guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution, registered as a sex offender and set up a fund for victims to pay out damages. (In 2019, Acosta stepped down as U.S. Secretary of Labor due to criticism of how he handled the case.)

Epstein ultimately served 13 months as part of the 2008 plea deal and was allowed to leave for 12 hours a day to work at his foundation. He also settled several civil lawsuits with victims, including with one of his most vocal accusers, Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide in April.

Since the convicted sex offender’s arrest and death, numerous documentaries and books have explored how he used his wealth and power to evade federal prosecution for so long and receive a lenient plea deal and federal immunity. A new report from Wired found that nearly three minutes were cut out from the FBI’s Epstein prison video, further fueling conspiracy theories that his suicide was a murder cover-up.

Keep reading for some of the documentaries, TV episodes and books that delve into Epstein’s life, crimes and death.

Directed by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg and part of Lifetime’s Stop Violence Against Women initiative, Surviving Jeffrey Epstein was released in 2020 and includes interviews with survivors — including the late Virginia Giuffre — who recount how they were lured as young teenagers by female recruiters to Epstein’s private island. The four-episode docuseries also covers the arrest of alleged co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.

All four episodes of Surviving Jeffrey Epstein are available to stream for free with an Amazon Prime membership or a Prime Video subscription.

Stream Surviving Jeffrey Epstein online: Apple TV, Prime Video

Adapted from James Patterson’s New York Times bestselling book, Netflix’s four-part Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich limited series features interviews with survivors, who recount how the late financier exploited them in a “pyramid scheme” run from his Palm Beach mansion. The 2020 docuseries also explores how he acquired the fortune that afforded him the wealth and power to get away with his abuses and the “unprecedented” lenient plea deal in his state charges of soliciting prostitution.

Stream Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich online: Netflix

On Nov. 15, 2019, Prince Andrew sat down with BBC Newsnight’s Emily Mailis at Buckingham Palace for his first interview since he was named in 2015 U.S. court papers in the civil sexual abuse case against Jeffrey Epstein. The Duke of York spoke for nearly an hour about his friendship with the convicted sex offender and co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, and how the scandal affected the royal family.

Stream Prince Andrew BBC interview online: Prime Video, YouTube

Released in 2020, the Discovery+’s 43-minute Prince Andrew, Maxwell & Epstein special features “experts in body language, linguistics and forensic psychology [to] examine the words and actions of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Prince Andrew.”

Stream Prince Andrew, Maxwell & Epstein online: Apple TV, Prime Video

Released in June 2021, Peacock’s three-part documentary investigates Ghislaine Maxwell ahead of her trial later that year. The streamer’s limited series explores how the British heiress’ life “takes a sordid downturn when she meets Jeffrey Epstein, the serial sex offender, [revealing] a complicated story of power, sex and money.”

Stream Epstein’s Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwellonline: Peacock

The 2022 follow-up to the Jeffrey Epstein documentary that was based on James Patterson’s NYT bestseller, Netflix’s Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich goes “beyond the headlines” of the convicted abuser’s “mysterious accomplice, illuminating how her class and privilege concealed her predatory nature.”

Stream Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich online: Netflix

Investigation Discovery’s three-part documentary, Who Killed Jeffrey Epstein?, examines conspiracy theories that Epstein was murdered as part of a cover-up by his elite associates. Spanning two hours and 12 minutes, the TV special includes interviews with victims, legal analysts, journalists, attorneys for victims and the defense, former Epstein colleagues and others.

Stream Who Killed Jeffrey Epstein? online: Apple TV, Prime Video, Hulu

In Vice News’ 2024 true crime documentary, Epstein Didn’t Kill Himself, disinformation researchers and journalists explore how unanswered questions about Epstein’s suicide gave rise to “an easy conspiracy to weaponize.”

Stream Epstein Didn’t Kill Himselfonline: Apple TV, Tubi

Hulu’s 2022 miniseries, Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons, tells the “searing and provocative story” of the lingerie company and its billionaire CEO, Les Wexner. The three-episode special also focuses on Wexner’s friendship and business dealings with Jeffrey Epstein, who assaulted a woman at a hotel after convincing her that she was interviewing for a Victoria’s Secret modeling job. (Wexler’s attorneys shared a statement with the filmmakers that he “confronted Epstein and was clear [his actions were] a violation of company policy for him to suggest he was in any way associated with Victoria’s Secret and that [he] Epstein was forbidden from ever doing so again.”)

Stream Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons online: Apple TV, Hulu

James Patterson’s New York Times bestselling true crime book was adapted into a hit Netflix documentary series. Filthy Rich recounts Jeffrey Epstein’s rise “from humble origins into the New York City and Palm Beach elite” to his guilty plea to charges of sexual abuse and his death by suicide. The 304-page book includes interviews with police and girls who alleged sexual abuse against the late disgraced financier; it’s also available on audiobook.

In her NYT bestselling book (available as a Kindle e-book and Audible audiobook), award-winning investigative reporter Julie K. Brown builds on her Miami Herald series that exposed Epstein and how he evaded justice while running a global sex trafficking scheme that exploited vulnerable teens. Her investigation led to the arrests of Epstein and Maxwell and the resignation of U.S. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, who handled Epstein’s 2008 plea deal when he was a U.S. Attorney.

Florida-based victims’ rights attorney Bradley J. Edwards recounts how he represented over 20 victims of the late sex offender and devoted more than a decade to bringing Epstein to justice. In his 400-page book, the lawyer “gives his riveting, blow-by-blow account of battling Epstein on behalf of his clients, and provides stunning details never shared before. … Epstein and his cadre of high-priced lawyers were able to manipulate the FBI and the Justice Department, but despite making threats and attempting schemes straight out of a spy movie, Epstein couldn’t stop Edwards, his small team of committed lawyers, and, most of all, the victims, who were dead-set on seeing their abuser finally put behind bars.”

THR reported that journalist Michael Wolff was present for Steve Bannon’s first taping with Epstein and first revealed the existence of the tapes in his book, Too Famous. The 336-page novel “dissects more of the major monsters, media whores and vainglorious figures of our time” and includes new and published reporting about Epstein as well as Harvey Weinstein, Jared Kushner, Tucker Carlson, Ronan Farrow and many others.