Naomi Campbell addresses link to Epstein files

Naomi Campbell has publicly addressed her alleged link to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

On 30 January, the US Justice Department released more than three million documents relating to the criminal financier, including photos and email exchanges tying him to a number of celebrities and high-profile figures.

The latest release includes references to the supermodel, 55, in emails, contact lists, and scheduling exchanges.

Being named in the files does not automatically equal any wrongdoing; however, it has brought Campbell's reported interactions with Epstein back into the spotlight.

The email exchanges included Campbell asking to fly on Epstein's private plane and arranging to meet him at his New York mansion.

Allegedly, a number of event and business-related meeting invitations were sent back and forth, facilitated by his longtime assistant Lesley Groff.

The emails continue long after Epstein's conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008. In one 2010 exchange, Epstein tells an entertainment publicist: "My new best friend is Naomi Campbell!!"

The supermodel said there is 'no wrongdoing on her part' (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)

Speaking out on her Instagram Story on Sunday (15 February) in the wake of the claims, the British star wrote: "I said it in 2019, and I'll say it again now: don't come at me when there is no wrongdoing on my part. I stand in complete solidarity with the courageous survivors."

For context, Campbell previously addressed her reported ties to Epstein publicly in 2019, when questions about their connection first gained traction.

She said in a video response at the time: "What he has done is indefensible. When I heard it, it sickened me to my stomach just like everybody else."

Redacted emails suggest Naomi Campbell and Jeffrey Epstein remained in touch after his 2008 conviction (DoJ)

The star explained how she was introduced to Epstein in 2001 by her then-boyfriend, businessman Flavio Briatore, at her 31st birthday party in Saint-Tropez.

She said the financier was often present at high-profile fashion events she would attend, such as Victoria’s Secret shows, but denied any knowledge of his crimes.

Opening up about her own experiences in the industry, she said: "I’ve had my fair share of sexual predators. I stand with the victims. They are scarred for life.”

A review by The New York Times found that Naomi Campbell’s name appears in nearly 300 documents in the Epstein files (Thos Robinson/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Campbell’s legal team has also pushed back, telling the New York Times that prior to Epstein’s 2019 arrest in New York, Campbell 'knew nothing about his appalling criminal conduct'.

The model's lawyer, Martin Singer, said in a statement: “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.”

He clarified that Campbell was living in Moscow between 2008 and 2013, and so 'she had no idea that Epstein was a registered sex offender'.

One document titled 'List of People Who Need JE’s Address!' includes Campbell's name, along with instructions on how to mail letters to the Florida jail where Epstein began serving his sentence in 2008.

The lawyer said that the model 'has no idea who created this list or why her name appears on this document' and clarified that 'she never asked anyone for Epstein’s address to communicate with him in jail in Florida'.

You can watch Campbell's full 2019 video response here.

Tyla has contacted a representative for Campbell for comment.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.