Jack Lang, a former senior French minister and ex-culture minister under the late President François Mitterrand, has publicly defended his past connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This defense comes amidst revelations from recently published Epstein documents in the United States.
Lang has refused to step down from his role as president of the Arab World Institute, a Paris-based cultural organization. His position was challenged following the release of documents detailing Epstein’s associates.
The controversy also involves Lang’s eldest daughter, Caroline. She recently resigned from her leadership position at France’s Independent Production Union, citing her own ties to Epstein.
Lang’s Account of His Relationship with Epstein
Speaking to French broadcaster BFMTV, Jack Lang stated that he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal history when they first met approximately 15 years ago. At the time Epstein was convicted in Florida in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution. Epstein later died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Lang, who is 86 years old, previously served as France’s culture minister from 1981 to 1993. He also held the position of minister of national education between 1992 and 2002. Additionally, he briefly served as a special envoy to Cuba and North Korea in 2009.
While not accused of any wrongdoing himself, the former minister explained that he was introduced to Epstein by the American actor and director Woody Allen, whom Lang identified as a friend. “I knew nothing about him,” Lang stated. “I found the man passionate about art, culture, and cinema.”
Le Monde, a French daily newspaper, reports that during their acquaintance, Lang made requests for favors from Epstein, including the use of his car or plane for himself or his family. A short video clip originating from the U.S. Department of Justice files reportedly shows the two individuals outside the Louvre Museum in Paris.
“I am not in the habit of spitting on those I knew at a particular time and who went on to be accused of crimes,” Lang commented. He also issued a prior statement indicating that had he been aware of Epstein’s offenses, he would have “immediately cut off all contact with him.”
Caroline Lang’s Involvement and Resignation
Caroline Lang, a former actress now working as a film producer, shared her perspective with the French news website Mediapart. She explained that she met Epstein in 2012 through Woody Allen and his wife. According to Caroline, Epstein expressed a desire to “invest in young French and international artists.”
She further disclosed that Epstein’s lawyers had established a company named Prytanee LLC. However, Caroline stated that she neither invested in this company nor received any funds from it. Mediapart’s reporting suggests, based on an email found within the Epstein files, that she contributed her expertise in art. Caroline described herself to the website as “incredibly naive.”
In her announcement of resignation from the Independent Production Union, Caroline Lang emphasized: “I do not want this situation to in any way harm the union.”