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Keating speaks out on ‘unfortunate’ Epstein ties after emails exposed

January 31, 2026 — 2:28pm

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Washington: Katherine Keating, daughter of former prime minister Paul Keating, has spoken out about her “unfortunate” friendship with Jeffrey Epstein after a long trail of emails between her and the convicted sex offender featured in the latest release of documents by the US Department of Justice.

The documents show how Keating maintained a social relationship with Epstein for several years in the early 2010s, regularly arranging to visit his New York mansion and seeking his career advice as she tried to build a career in the American television industry.

Katherine Keating, photographed in 2013.James Brickwood

Keating told this masthead that she was initially interested in Epstein’s connections with prominent business figures but that Epstein – and especially his staff – contacted her with “persistence bordering on harassment”, leading her to eventually sever contact.

“The rest of the trail of inconsequential emails from Epstein simply go to Epstein’s manic interest in following up any person whom he met or crossed paths with,” Keating said. “This is why there are so many emails in the administration’s release of them.”

Epstein was convicted of child sex offences in Florida in 2008 and was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges when he was found dead in jail in 2019. There is no suggestion Keating was involved in, or had any knowledge of, improper activity by Epstein that later came to light.

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Keating’s involvement with Epstein has been detailed before. Last year she acknowledged attending an event at Epstein’s mansion in February 2011 after being invited by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, then known as Prince Andrew. She was also filmed leaving Epstein’s house in December 2010.

But the new emails suggest their relationship was closer than previously known, and reveal how Epstein became a mentor to Keating, then in her late 20s.

In one encounter in April 2011, Keating suggested inviting her younger sister Alexandra to a dinner Epstein was organising with film director Woody Allen, after Epstein told her that “woody likes pretty women”.

“I could invite my sister. 25, very cool and sharp as a tack,” Keating suggested. “Great,” Epstein replied. Keating told him she was looking forward to the dinner and that Alexandra would attend.

They made plans to meet on many occasions over the next two years, and Epstein invited her to events such as film premieres. Keating included Epstein on a list of “friends” she emailed about a new book, After Words – a collection of her father’s speeches – promising to send them a copy.

Financier Jeffrey Epstein died while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in New York.AP

Epstein became a mentor to Keating. In May 2011, a few days after the pair met again at Epstein’s home, she emailed him to detail a lunch with “Charlie” at his property in upstate New York – likely to be the American journalist and broadcaster Charlie Rose.

Keating and Rose met at the February 2011 dinner party with Epstein and Prince Andrew. She said “Charlie” had offered her a job as business development manager but it would be unpaid. “He concluded by saying that he wants to work with me but it was a ‘reap what you sow’ opportunity,” she said.

By November 2011, Keating was still struggling to gain work. She told Epstein she met with three TV producers, including some from The Colbert Report and The Daily Show, and had meetings scheduled with the president of Hearst, as well as Google and the Creative Artists Agency.

“Seeing Clinton for dinner on Wednesday night [sic]. YouTube Thursday,” Keating emailed. “I’m doing all I can with the resources I have at hand.”

Epstein asked if Keating had called “Soros” – likely to be billionaire investor George Soros or a member of his family – but Keating said she had been unable to obtain his number.

“I want to know what changes you have to make to get this show on the road,” Epstein wrote. “This has gone on too long. you have seen many many potential buyers of your product and no one is buying. I think the sales pitch or and the product [you] need to be tweaked.”

The financier urged Keating to practise “active listening” and to stop taking notes in meetings. “I fear that you appear to have a lot to say and are wholly focused on saying it,” he said.

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Keating’s note-taking was a serial irritant for Epstein. On another occasion he emailed financial power broker Ian Osborne: “I’m not sure why katherine keating was sitting taking notes when she was at my house, but you might be able to use her in austrailia [sic]. remind me later.”

At another point, Epstein reassured Keating that it could be difficult to make it in New York. “There are so many things flying at you from all directions that it takes great discipline to focus, on one,” he wrote. “pull the trigger, and if it doesn’t work move to the next.”

In her statement to this masthead, Keating stressed she had never visited Epstein’s private island, never been on his plane, never had an inappropriate interaction with him or his associates, never witnessed any inappropriate behaviour and had no knowledge of the criminal conduct that has come to light since their contact ended.

She also said she never dealt with Epstein’s associate and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring with him to abuse girls. “I met Maxwell several years later at a sponsored event and never discussed Epstein with her,” Keating said.

“The only unfortunate thing about my first few months in America in 2010 was that Andrew Mountbatten[-Windsor] invited me to the home of Epstein for an afternoon tea and dinner party, and two months later passed across to Epstein my contact details. Were this not to have happened I would have had no contact with Epstein whatsoever.

“Having just arrived in New York and being invited to a dinner party by Andrew, populated by leading media and business figures, was of course of interest to me.

“Any follow-up contact, including emails with him or his staff, was simply viewed by me as an opportunity to meet reputable and major leaders of American business, to open career opportunities of a kind I would have not otherwise have had. I had absolutely no other reason to have anything to do with Epstein.”

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Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political reporter in Canberra.Connect via X or email.

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