The Dalai Lama has denied ever meeting paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein after he was named dozens of times in the latest in a number of releases known as the Epstein files.
The office for the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism released a statement on Sunday in response to “social media posts… attempting to link His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Jeffrey Epstein”.
There are more than 150 references to the Dalai Lama in the full Epstein library, which includes more than 3 million new pages added by the US Justice Department at the end of January.
In correspondence from 2015, Epstein told associates of his plans to meet with Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama. One email to Epstein asked if a dinner with the Buddhist leader was “fixed”, to which Epstein only replied: “Talk Tomorw” [sic].
The Dalai Lama, now 90, is not accused of any wrongdoing. In a new statement, his office denied that he had ever met Epstein.
“Some recent media reports and social media posts concerning the ‘Epstein files’ are attempting to link His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Jeffrey Epstein,” it read.
“We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or interaction with him by anyone on His Holiness’s behalf.”
The latest tranche of emails suggests that Epstein was trying to arrange a dinner with the Dalai Lama, famous linguist Noam Chomsky and Woody Allen in May 2015.
Epstein wrote on 10 May 2015 that a “fun dinner would be dali lama [sic]. woody allen chomsky?”, adding: “lets do it”.
Joi Ito, responding, implied Epstein had not yet met the exiled leader, writing, “Yes. First step would be to meet Tenzin” and suggesting an unnamed student could “get us the Dalai Lama”.
The next day, Epstein emailed a contact saved as Soon Yi Previn, Allen’s wife, writing: “im working on the dalai lama for dinner.”
Four days later, he received an email from scientist Lawrence Krauss, asking: “is dinner with woody and dali lama [sic] on may 19th fixed?”
The Dalai Lama is the head of Tibetan Buddhism and has lived in exile since 1959, when he fled to northern India following unrest over the Chinese occupation of Tibet.
He officially gave up political duties in 2011 to the Tibetan government in exile, but remains the foremost religious leader of the Tibetan community and diaspora.
The 14th Dalai Lama was also caught in controversy in 2023 after asking a child to suck his tongue at his temple in Dharamashala.
In widely shared footage, the Dalai Lama was heard asking a young boy to kiss him on his cheek and then his lips after the boy asked if he could give him a hug.
The Dalai Lama pressed his forehead to the child’s before sticking out his tongue and saying “and suck my tongue”. The video attracted criticism from rights activists.
Penpa Tsering, the head of Tibet’s government in exile, defended the Dalai Lama at the time, saying his actions were “innocent” and only demonstrated his “affectionate behaviour”.
The office of the Dalai Lama apologised “for the hurt his words may have caused”, explaining that “his Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras”, but adding: “he regrets the incident”.
