On May 14, 2009, writer-director Nicholas Jarecki sent Jeffrey Epstein, then serving time in Florida for procuring a minor for prostitution, an email, one of many communications between the two over the years. Jarecki wrote, “Let’s hang out. When are the bracelets off?”
Epstein, whose plea deal allowed him to leave the Palm Beach County Stockade to work at his office, replies.
“july 23.”
On that day in July, Epstein sends what appears to be a group email to many recipients with the subject line “free and home.”
Jarecki, then the 30-year-old co-screenwriter of The Informers, replies, “Congratulations! How where and when do we celebrate? Say the word and I am there within the day. Welcome home you crazy cat.”
A year later, Jarecki would ask Epstein to finance what would become his 2012 film Arbitrage, and send him the script. For all his Hollywood connections, the convicted sex trafficker and financier was not known to have been directly involved in the movie business, and discussions between Jarecki and Epstein soured before the film was released.
The relationship between Jarecki and Epstein has not been previously reported. But Jarecki’s father, prominent psychiatrist and investor Henry Jarecki, who co-founded Moviefone with Nicholas’ half-brother Andrew Jarecki, the documentary filmmaker, had a note included in Epstein’s infamous 2003 Birthday Book. Henry Jarecki, now 93, was sued in 2024 by a former model who accused him of helping enable Epstein’s sex trafficking. The model dropped the suit in April 2025, saying that after reviewing the history and evidence of her relationship with Jarecki, she came to believe Jarecki “did not mean me any harm.”
Initial searches made for this article of the three-million page trove of Epstein materials released by the Department of Justice Jan. 30 found no mention of Epstein having introduced Nicholas Jarecki to any women or girls, and no sexually explicit or suggestive communications. There is a March, 2003 email that appears to be between Jarecki and Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, in which Jarecki asks to meet for a drink and Maxwell, then 41, suggests catching up “late Wed night…”
Searches of the DOJ materials — which contain many redacted names and sometimes chaotically organized records — turned up nothing sexually suggestive between Maxwell and Jarecki, who in 2016 was romantically linked to Courtney Love.
However on May 2, 2009, again while Epstein was serving time, Jarecki forwarded Epstein a profile of porn star Sasha Grey published in Rolling Stone and written by Vanesssa Grigoriadis, called “The Dirtiest Girl in the World.”
The subject of the email was “Vanessa’s excellent Sasha Grey RS article.” In the body, Jarecki wrote, “With self-serving quote from yours truly… But enjoy it anyway. Anyone want to rep her (for real work) ?
Epstein replied, “bring her to florida.”
Jarecki wrote back, “Will u send plane? I will get her there tomorrow.”
Epstein forwarded some of this exchange and the article to a person whose name is redacted by being blacked out in the files.
Epstein wrote to redacted: “i received this from jarecki son.”
Redacted replied: “No way! Yes!”
Was the redacted person a talent agent agreeing to rep Grey? Was the whole thing a joke? The context of the exchange is unclear. But Gray reportedly appeared in her final pornographic film in 2009, the same year she starred in the Steven Soderbergh film The Girlfriend Experience. According to the Rolling Stone article, Jarecki met with Grey about a role. He is quoted as saying, “My impression of her attitude is that porn, while part of her pastiche, is ultimately a gateway to her mainstream ideas and acting career.”
Messages to Grey’s representatives seeking comment were not returned.
There is no evidence Grey knew or was helped by Epstein in any way.
After Epstein’s release, in Sept 2009, Jarecki wrote to ask to stay at Epstein’s New Mexico estate, explaining, [sic] “I might be helping on a film with megan fox and mickey rourke for a couple days that my friend’s making.” Judging from the timing, this film was likely Passion Play.
In an October follow-up email to Epstein, Jarecki wrote, “ It’s amazing here. I love it. People are so nice. Thanks so much. What do you get to thank the man that has everything? Marzipan?”
Then in late 2010, as a pre-production lawsuit around Arbitrage was resolved, Jarecki had many back and forths to Epstein about stepping in to finance it, once mentioning $2.5 million. Epstein asks for a script and it is sent. (The full Arbitrage script is in the DOJ Epstein files).
Epstein apparently did not invest, because in July 2011, they have this exchange:
EPSTEIN: hope your movie went well.. I thought that I was told that Eva Green, is in europe, i am going to spend the weekend in rome. with Woody Allen, wooody said it is ok to invite her
JARECKI: Thanks. Movie is great. Editing away. I’ll be in ny next week for 4 days. At the last minute I replaced eva with laetitia casta and pacino with richard gere and monaghan with brit marling and edgar with tim roth
Real musical chairs.
I still think you acted like a dickhead over the whole thing.
But I send love
Nick
A search of the Department of Justice files found no emails between Nicholas Jarecki and Epstein after 2012. Representatives for Jarecki have not responded to The Hollywood Reporter’s requests for comments.
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