Epstein files spark row: Dalai Lama’s Office issues strong denial

The controversy surfaced after Chinese state-run news channel CGTN, citing the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) website, reported that the Dalai Lama’s name appeared 169 times in the recently released Epstein files.

According to CGTN, his name featured in multiple personal emails and in the index of a book titled “Massage for Dummies,” which was included as a scanned document in earlier file releases.

One email, dated October 21, 2012, allegedly sent to Epstein by a redacted sender, stated that the individual wished to attend an event “on island that dalai lama is coming.” Epstein reportedly responded, “go to event,” the channel claimed.

Responding to the reports, the Dalai Lama’s office firmly rejected any association with 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,” an official statement from his office said.

“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 statement added.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice published more than three million additional pages under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump on November 19, 2025.

The latest release includes over 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. Combined with previous disclosures, the total number of pages made public now stands at nearly 3.5 million, in compliance with the Act.

Media reports indicate that the newly released documents contain references to several prominent personalities across various sectors.