Bachchan couple, Anurag Kashyap find mention in Epstein files, no evidence of wrongdoing: reports

Names of Bollywood actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, along with filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, have surfaced in the latest tranche of documents related to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, released by the US Department of Justice, as per reports.

The disclosures have once again placed global celebrities, politics and elite social circles under scrutiny. 

According to reports, the Bachchan couple’s names appear in email correspondence contained in Epstein Files. However, there is no evidence in the documents to suggest any direct or personal connection between Aishwarya, Abhishek and Epstein, nor are there any allegations of misconduct against them.

The reference to the Bachchan couple reportedly appears in an email exchange between Lesley Groff, Epstein’s former assistant, and Amanda Skarbnik, assistant to publicist Peggy Siegal. The email forms part of a larger list of prominent Hollywood and international figures linked to the 22nd amfAR ‘Cinema Against AIDS’ Gala held in 2015.

The event, organised by the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) and sponsored by The Weinstein Company, took place alongside the Cannes Film Festival. The email notes that Epstein was invited to the gala. It also reportedly lists Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan among the event’s chairs or co-chairs, alongside figures such as Len Blavatnik, Joel Coen, Kenneth Cole, Rosario Dawson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Sharon Stone and Harvey Weinstein.

Public records and media reports confirm that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan attended the event and appeared on the red carpet. However, while the emails confirm that Epstein was invited, there is no confirmation that he was present. Groff did not confirm his attendance in the correspondence, and no independent evidence has emerged to establish that Epstein attended the gala.

Separately, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s name also appears in the newly released documents. In a set of email exchanges involving Epstein and individuals including Giuseppe Bersani, Gino Yu and Ornella Corazza, Kashyap is described as a “famous Bollywood director” and referred to as a “Bollywood guy”.

The emails reportedly discussed the possibility of gatherings linked to workshops or congresses focused on subjects such as Buddhism, technology and medicine, including a proposed event in Shanghai. Kashyap’s name appears alongside several international figures, including Ben Goertzel, Bruce Damer and DJ Spooky.

There is, however, no evidence in the documents linking Kashyap to Epstein’s criminal activities. The files do not place Kashyap and Epstein at the same location, nor do they suggest any personal association. His name appears only in passing, without context of participation or involvement.

The US Department of Justice has released approximately three million documents, 18,000 photographs and 2,000 videos dating from between 2015 and 2017 as part of the Epstein-related disclosures. 

Legal experts and investigators have repeatedly stressed that the appearance of a name in these records does not imply wrongdoing.

The Epstein Files are widely understood to be a record of Epstein’s social reach, correspondence and attempts to access influential circles, rather than evidence of criminal conduct by those named. 

To date, the documents contain no allegations, accusations or evidence of illegal activity involving Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan or Anurag Kashyap.