Jeffrey Epstein helped Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn as one of their daughters was applying to colleges, connecting the family with the president of Bard College, a long time acquaintance of Epstein, emails released by the Justice Department show.

The Bard president, Leon Botstein, agreed to help, and the couple’s daughter Bechet Allen ended up attending Bard College, graduating in May 2021, according to her LinkedIn account.

“I can’t thank you enough for getting Bechet into Bard,” a message to Epstein dated Jan. 11, 2017 said. The message is from the account of Woody Allen, but appears to be written by Previn, who mentions Allen in the note.

Did Not Know Family Was Seeking Help

Bechet Allen did not appear to know that her family was seeking help for her application. “I think it’s best that Bechet struggles and doesn’t know ahead of time that she got in so that when she gets into Bard she will have sweated it out a bit and will really want to go,” the sender added. “Thank you for coming through for us. Woody said when Bechet sets fire to the school they’ll have you to thank.”

Woody Allen and Previn did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent through a spokesperson. Bechet Allen also did not respond to separate messages.

In a statement, David Wade, a spokesperson for Botstein, said that Epstein was “a serial liar who apparently took credit for the sun rising each day.”

“The applicant referenced in the emails was accepted on the merits of her own qualifications for admission,” the statement said. “Bard had already provided a welcome community for two previous family members, and no introduction was needed from the likes of Epstein.”

Bard College admits about 40% of its applicants.

The spokesperson said that Botstein “often reassures anxious parents and families navigating the admissions process, and responds to scores of requests each year for tours or admissions conversations from alumni, supporters, and people in the broader community, as he has done through 50 years.”

He added, “The only difference here is Epstein’s apparent effort to convince a family that his voice was of consequence.”

Emails Among 3 Million Other Documents

The emails were among about 3 million pages of documents collected by the Justice Department as part of its yearslong investigation into Epstein, who died by suicide in jail in 2019, and released late last month. The documents include new details about the relationship of prominent figures, among them President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton, and Epstein. Already, previously released documents showed how Epstein wielded his influence and connections in higher education, maintaining friendships with influential academics like Larry Summers, the former president of Harvard University, for years.

Epstein had known Botstein, the longtime president of Bard, for years. In interviews with The New York Times in 2023, Botstein, an energetic fundraiser, said he was trying to woo Epstein to donate to his school. Keeping his small liberal arts college afloat often meant seeking cash from unsavory donors, he told the Times in 2023. “Capitalism is a rough system,” he said at the time.

The exchanges about Bechet Allen’s interest in Bard occurred in 2016. In early November, Epstein emailed Botstein, saying that Bechet Allen was considering Bard and asking that he coordinate a trip with Previn. The same day, Previn wrote to the president: “Thank you so much for your offer to help our daughter, Bechet Allen, get into Bard College. I will take you up on the offer.;)”

Botstein said that he would be “delighted to help” and scheduled a visit.

Two months later, Allen emailed Botstein to say Bard was her first choice, an email that Previn forwarded to Epstein. Botstein said he would pass along her sentiment to the admissions committee.

The next day, shortly after Epstein instructed the couple to call Botstein, the couple sent their effusive thank-you note to Epstein.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Vimal Patel/Arden Wray
c. 2026 The New York Times Company