Newly surfaced emails from the Jeffrey Epstein files include a 2014 message that listed high-profile figures described by the sender as “anti-Israel celebrities,” drawing fresh attention and discussion online this week. The document has sparked important conversations about celebrity activism and the professional risks of political speech.
The email, sent to the disgraced financier by the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) in July 2014, apparently detailed a list of public figures accused in the accompanying article of making false or controversial statements about Israel’s policies. Titled “Anti-Israel celebrities and their brands,” the file meticulously links high-profile stars to their corporate sponsors.
Malik was mentioned while he was still a member of the boyband One Direction, for posting the hashtag #FreePalestine on his Twitter amid the current conflict between Israel and Gaza during the summer 2014 war. When the 21-year-old posted ‘#FreePalestine’ on Twitter, death threats followed immediately, with one account replying ‘Please let me kill you.’ Malik didn’t delete the post.
Also named were British actress Emma Thompson, included for her calls to boycott certain cultural institutions over their links with Israel; Spanish actress Penelope Cruz and her husband Javier Bardem, noted for signed statements critical of Israeli military operations; and legendary musician Stevie Wonder.
Importantly, the mere presence of these names in an email circulated to Epstein does not imply any inappropriate relationship with him, nor does it suggest that the email’s characterisation of their political views was accurate. These celebrities appear simply as subjects tracked for their political positions, not for any wrongdoing or connection to Epstein’s crimes.
