Tina Brown recalls disgust over invite to Epstein party: ‘What the hell is this — the Predator’s Ball?’
Top magazine editor Tina Brown has revealed her disgust at once being invited to an intimate Jeffrey Epstein party with his pals Prince Andrew and Woody Allen — declaring: “What the hell is this — the Predator’s Ball?”
Brown, 71, who was editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair in the late ’80s before taking the reins at the Daily Beast, recalled to the New York Times in a recent wide-ranging interview how she received the invitation to Epstein’s home after he had already been convicted of sex crimes in 2008.
“I was invited to a dinner after he had been convicted. A publicist called me in the office at the Daily Beast, and she said, ‘Tina, I want you to come to this great dinner at Jeffrey Epstein’s house, and the other guests are Charlie Rose, Woody Allen and Prince Andrew,’ ” Brown said.
Former Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Tina Brown recalls receiving an invitation to Jeffrey Epstein’s home after he had been convicted of sex crimes in 2008. Getty Images
The veteran editor noted that the invite came even after she had started publishing stories at the Beast about how Epstein still hadn’t been shunned by the mega-elite despite his sick pedophile crimes.
“Lloyd Grove, who was a journalist at the Beast, reminds me whenever I see him that I yelled into the phone: ‘What the hell is this — the Predator’s Ball?’ I was outraged that [the publicist] hadn’t seemed to have read our pieces,” Brown said.
“I said, ‘I’ve printed pieces about this guy. No, thank you very much. I decline. I don’t want to have dinner at Jeffrey Epstein’s house.’ ”
Brown’s disgusted reaction to the notion was in reference to “The Predators’ Ball” — the 1988 book by Connie Bruck about Wall Street greed.
Brown also recalled running into Epstein’s British socialite sex-trafficking accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, in social circles in the ’80s and ’90s.
“I didn’t understand their relationship at the time because you never saw Epstein with her, actually. I think Epstein was slightly in her rearview mirror when I knew her,” Brown said. “I didn’t really know about that background with Epstein until I read about it later.
Woody Allen was one of the guests invited to the dinner party, Brown said. Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Donald Trump and Melania pose with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Getty Images
Former Prince Andrew was also to attend the dinner. Getty Images
Epstein was supplied with young women to abuse by socialite buddy Ghislaine Maxwell. SDNY/SplashNews.com
“I think with Epstein, she was mad about him,” the editor said of Maxwell. “And the only way she felt she could get into his good graces was to participate in — and in the end, curate — his abuse of young women.
“But you never would have known it from seeing her work those parties. She deserves to rot in that prison for a very long time.”
Maxwell, 63, is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in helping to exploit women and girls for Epstein’s depraved ring.
Brown speculated that President Trump could potentially pardon Maxwell in the future — despite the suggestion already sparking fury.
“I wouldn’t be at all surprised if on his way out Trump does pardon her, when MAGA no longer counts. But I think if he did it now, there would be a real uproar,” the editor said.
