The office of the Dalai Lama has firmly denied reports attempting to link the Tibetan spiritual leader to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, stating that the two never met and no interaction was ever authorised.
The clarification followed media reports claiming the Dalai Lama’s name appeared 169 times in documents released by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) as part of the Epstein files.
Addressing the controversy, the spiritual leader’s office said in a statement posted on X that recent media coverage and social media discussions were misleading.
“We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or interaction with him,” the statement said.
Reports citing DoJ records noted that the Dalai Lama’s name appeared in personal emails and in the index of a scanned book titled Massage for Dummies. Emails from October 2012 allegedly hinted at a possible meeting or suggested the leader might attend an event where Epstein was expected.
The issue resurfaced after journalist Michael Wolff mentioned the Dalai Lama while discussing gatherings allegedly hosted at Epstein’s Manhattan residence. However, the office has now categorically rejected any association.
The renewed scrutiny comes after the DoJ released millions of records tied to Epstein, referencing several global political and business figures.
