How did Jeffrey Epstein know Donald Trump? Friendship explained in Netflix's Filthy Rich
Netflix's new documentary on convicted sex offender Epstein also looks at his relationship with the US President.
Last week, Netflix released its new docuseries Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, which tells the story of the multi-millionaire's alleged sexual abuse victims.
The four-part series looked at Epstein, who died in jail last year after being charged with sex trafficking minors, and the crimes he allegedly committed, but also the wealthy celebrities he associated with such as Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton and President Donald Trump
Here is everything Filthy Rich tells us about Epstein and Trump's relationship...
Trump and Epstein were neighbours and friends
In the first episode of Filthy Rich, journalist Tim Malloy says that Epstein and Trump were neighbours who "ended up living a mile apart along Billionaire's row" in Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump owned the Mar-a-Lago resort in the area, which Epstein was spotted at regularly.
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"They knew each other, Epstein frequented Mar-a-Lago for a time," Malloy continues. "There's now a widely circulated quote from Donald Trump which he would probably like to reel back in."
The quote referred to by Malloy is from an article in New York Magazine from 2002, in which he said that Epstein was a long-time friend of his.
"I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy," Trump is quoted saying in New York Magazine. "He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it – Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”
Filthy Rich also shows Trump and Epstein chatting and laughing at a party which took place in November 1992.
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The docuseries also mentions how Trump said he had fallen out with Epstein after the two of them attempted to buy the same mansion in Florida.
In 2017, an attorney for the Trump Organisation said the President "had no relationship with Mr Epstein and had no knowledge whatsoever of his conduct", while in July 2018, Trump told reporters at the White House that he knew Epstein "like everybody in Palm Beach knew him".
He said, “I had a falling out with him. I haven’t spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.”
Ghislaine Maxwell met Virginia Roberts Giuffre at Trump's estate
Virginia Robert Giuffre alleges she was sex trafficked by Epstein at the age of 16.
Epstein met Giuffre after she began working at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort as a locker room attendant in 1999 and was introduced to Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of disgraced British publishing proprietor Robert Maxwell and Epstein's girlfriend, who is accused of recruiting young girls for the billionaire.
“At the time, I really wanted to become a massage therapist and not very long into working at Mar-a-lago did an English lady come up to me," Giuffre says in the documentary. "She introduced herself as Ghislaine Maxwell.
Maxwell asked Roberts to become a travelling masseuse for Epstein, which she did until 2002.
Maxwell denies all allegations.
Trump nominated US attorney who agreed a plea deal with Epstein in 2008 for Labor Secretary
In 2016, President Trump nominated Alexander Acosta to be Labor Secretary for the US, and he was confirmed by the Senate in April 2017.
Acosta was connected to Epstein in the past, when he was a US attorney in Florida in 2008. Epstein was arrested in 2005, with the FBI identifying at least 34 minors who had accused Epstein of sexual abuse.
Acosta agreed to a federal plea deal, granting Epstein and four named co-conspirators immunity from all federal criminal charges. The agreement was conducted without consulting the victims and led to Epstein serving 13 months in a private wing of a Florida jail.
In 2019, a federal court held that Acosta's plea deal in the Epstein case had violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act of 2004, which could lead to a new hearing as Epstein no longer had immunity.
Following this decision, there were calls for Acosta to resign as Labor secretary, which he did so two days later on 10 July 2019.
Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich is available to stream on Netflix. You can also check out the best Netflix series and best Netflix movies to keep you entertained or visit to our TV guide for more to watch.
