A 2019 Naomi Campbell YouTube clip is making the rounds again, and it hits all the hot buttons: celebrity proximity, ugly history, and the very online tendency to declare someone guilty by osmosis. Campbell, now 55, responds to her Jeffrey Epstein ties head-on, and it arrives just as Washington plays tug-of-war over releasing more Epstein files. The story is messy, the timeline is messier, and yes, the names in those records are the kind that light up the internet.
Naomi Campbell revisits her Epstein connection
In the resurfaced 2019 video, Campbell lays out how she knew Epstein: she says she met him roughly two decades earlier, introduced by then-boyfriend Flavio Briatore at her 31st birthday. She also recalls seeing him around the fashion world, saying he was regularly parked in prime seats at Victoria's Secret shows. She is adamant she did not know about his crimes and rejects the idea that being photographed near someone equals complicity.
There are also viral posts claiming she visited Epstein's island 21 times. Those claims have not been verified. Campbell does appear in records tied to Epstein — including flight logs — with two entries reportedly connected to Little St. James, but the internet math jumping from 'in the book' to '21 island trips' is, at best, creative.
Campbell is blunt about her past without apologizing for associations she says she could not have known were toxic at the time. She calls Epstein's behavior indefensible, says she felt physically sick when she heard the allegations, and notes she has dealt with predatory behavior in the industry herself. She also pushes back at press coverage — calling out the Daily Mail for what she describes as direct character assassination — and points to her philanthropic work, including Fashion for Relief and efforts with the British Fashion Council (as referenced by USA Today).
'I will not be held hostage by my past.'
'It is wrong, it is unfair and it must be stopped.'
Where the Epstein files stand (and why the timeline is a headache)
If you feel like you have whiplash on this: same. One set of reports says President Donald Trump has signed a bill directing the Justice Department to release all Epstein files online — searchable and downloadable within 30 days (per BBC). At the same time, there are also reports of an imminent House vote to release still-sealed documents, scheduled for 10 am ET on Tuesday, with a simple majority of 218 needed to pass before it heads to the Senate and then to Trump for signature (via Al Jazeera).
The politics here are uneven. The Republican Party is split — some members teamed with Democrats to push transparency; others initially echoed Trump's early framing of the release as a 'Democratic hoax' before he pivoted to supporting it. Notable GOP co-sponsors include Thomas Massie, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Nancy Mace.
However this shakes out, expect scrutiny. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, and any new document release will be combed line by line. No new formal accusations have been confirmed as part of this latest push.
Who shows up in the records (and what that does and does not mean)
Epstein kept a contact book, there are flight logs, and there are various documents that list people he knew, flew with, or was connected to through business, charity, or social circles. Being listed is not evidence of wrongdoing. The records mix alleged victims, associates, exes, staff, and high-profile acquaintances (per The Independent and other coverage). Also worth noting: some circulating summaries mislabel people — one widely shared version even misidentifies Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s job title. Keep salt at the ready.
- Naomi Campbell — British supermodel; appears in flight logs, with two entries reportedly tied to Little St. James
- Donald Trump — listed in flight logs and Epstein's book
- Bill Clinton — listed in flight logs
- Marla Maples — listed in flight logs
- Tiffany Trump — listed in flight logs
- Alan Dershowitz — listed in flight logs and Epstein's book
- Jean-Luc Brunel — modeling executive; alleged co-conspirator who later died while awaiting trial
- Michael Jackson — appears in Epstein's book
- Marvin Minsky — AI pioneer; listed in flight logs
- Courtney Love — appears in Epstein's book
- Mick Jagger — appears in Epstein's book
- Bill Richardson — former New Mexico governor; appears in Epstein's book
- Glenn Dubin — hedge fund manager; listed in flight logs and Epstein's book
- Eva Andersson-Dubin — listed in flight logs and Epstein's book
- Tom Pritzker — listed in flight logs
- Chris Tucker — appears in Epstein's book
- Sarah Ferguson — Duchess of York; listed in flight logs
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — appears in Epstein's book
- Mary Kennedy — appears in Epstein's book
- Dana Burns — listed in flight logs
- Frédéric Fekkai — listed in flight logs and Epstein's book
- Alexandra Fekkai — listed in flight logs and Epstein's book
- Jo Jo Fontanella — Epstein's butler; listed in flight logs
- Doug Band — aide to Bill Clinton; listed in flight logs
- Virginia Giuffre — survivor; appears in records and flight logs
- Eric Gany — appears in Epstein's book
- Sheridan Gibson-Butte — listed in flight logs
- Shelly Harrison — listed in flight logs
- Victoria Hazell — listed in flight logs
- Forest Sawyer — listed in flight logs
- Sarah Kellen — former Epstein assistant; unindicted co-conspirator; listed in flight logs
- Adriana Mucinska — former Epstein assistant; unindicted co-conspirator; listed in flight logs
- Peter Marino — listed in flight logs
- Nadia Marcinkova — Epstein associate; unindicted co-conspirator; listed in flight logs
- David Mullen — listed in flight logs
- Joe Pagano — listed in flight logs
- Kristy Rodgers — listed in flight logs
- Patsy Rodgers — listed in flight logs
- Mark Epstein — Jeffrey Epstein's brother; listed in flight logs
- Emmy Taylor — former assistant to Ghislaine Maxwell; listed in flight logs
- Brent Tindall — Epstein's chef; listed in flight logs
- Ed Tuttle — listed in flight logs
- Les Wexner — former Epstein business partner; appears in Epstein's book
- Abigail Wexner — appears in Epstein's book
- Cresencia Valdez — listed in flight logs
- Maritza Vasquez — former bookkeeper for Jean-Luc Brunel; listed in flight logs
- Sharon Reynolds — listed in flight logs
- Courtney Wild — listed in flight logs
- Mark Zeff — New York decorator; appears in Epstein's book
- Kelly Spamm — listed in flight logs
- Alexandra Dixon — listed in flight logs
- Ricardo Legoretta — Mexican designer; listed in flight logs
The takeaway
Campbell's video is frank and defensive at the same time — not surprising given how fast names get tried in the court of public opinion. The bigger plotline is the document dump drama in D.C.: some reports say the release has already been ordered; others say a House vote is next. Either way, more files appear to be coming, and more famous names will inevitably be recirculated. Just remember: being in a book or on a manifest does not equal a crime.