Zohran Mamdani's mother Mira Nair mentioned in newly released Epstein files — What emails reveal

Fresh disclosures from the US Justice Department’s latest release of Jeffrey Epstein-related records have drawn attention to film-maker Mira Nair, mother of New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, after her name appeared in an email about a 2009 social event linked to Ghislaine Maxwell.

Also read: From Elon Musk to Bill Gates — 5 key takeaways from latest Epstein files dump
The documents form part of a massive public dump of investigative material tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Officials said more than three million pages of records, alongside thousands of videos and images, are being made public under a transparency law requiring the government to open its files on Epstein and his network. The release follows earlier criticism that previous disclosures were incomplete.




At the centre of the latest reporting is an email dated October 21, 2009, sent by publicist Peggy Siegal to Epstein shortly after what she described as an afterparty at Maxwell’s townhouse connected to the film Amelia, directed by Nair.

Email reference to 2009 film afterparty

According to the email included in the files, Siegal wrote: “Just left Ghislaine’s townhouse…after party for film.” She added: “Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos were there…Jean Pigozzi, director Mira Nair…etc,” as reported by ANI.

Nair directed the 2009 biopic Amelia, starring Hilary Swank as aviator Amelia Earhart and Richard Gere as her husband, publisher George Putnam. The email does not allege any wrongdoing by those named; it records attendance at a social gathering. As with many figures whose names appear in the Epstein files, inclusion reflects contact or association rather than criminal charges.

Nair's son, Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, currently serves as New York mayor.

What the new cache revealed

The Justice Department said the files shed light on Epstein’s communications and social links with a wide range of high-profile figures across politics, business and entertainment. Deputy attorney general Todd Blanche said the aim was transparency, while acknowledging that redactions were made to protect victims and sensitive information.

The disclosures stem from the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed after sustained public and political pressure for fuller access to government records on the case. Officials previously missed a congressional deadline, saying hundreds of lawyers were needed to review the material.

Epstein died in a New York jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. In 2021, Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking offences for helping recruit underage girls and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.