Will Mira Nair Explain her Ties to Ghislaine Maxwell

(Photo: Mira Nair, courtesy Wikipedia.)

March 20, 2026

Since February, there have been protests outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s official residence over his mother Mira Nair’s alleged ties to Ghislaine Maxwell, girlfriend of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This was after Nair was named in a batch of Epstein files, documents related to Jeffrey Epstein released by the United States Department of Justice.

“Just left Ghislaine’s townhouse…after party for film (Amelia). Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos were there…Jean Pigoni, director Mira Nair….etc. Film received tepid reaction although women like it much more…”, Peggy Siegel said in an email she sent to Epstein in 2009, as revealed in the Epstein files. Siegel was “a once-powerful Hollywood publicist who later faced industry backlash over her deep social ties to Epstein,” according to a Fox News report. Ghislaine refers to Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted for her role in Epstein’s sex crimes. The party was organized by Maxwell to celebrate the release of Nair’s film Amelia.

Another allegation of the protesters is that, in 2017, Mamdani was present at a luncheon organized by Siegel. A photo of Mamdani at the luncheon was published by Fox News. The protests have gotten media coverage, including by major news sites in India.

Mamdani was 18-years-old when he reportedly attended the party hosted for his mother’s film by Maxwell at her townhouse in New York City. There is no mention of Mamdani in the Epstein files. Also, neither the Epstein files or any other investigations allege that Nair was involved in Maxwell’s criminal activities.

The real agenda of the protesters against Mamdani, 34-years-old, is not known, apart from their apparent attempt to weaken Mamdani’s public support and his ability to govern New York City. However, Nair needs to answer several questions to clarify her relationship with Maxwell, and if relevant, Epstein.

In 2008, the year before Maxwell hosted the party for Nair’s film, Epstein pleaded guilty to charges, ”one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18.” According to PBS, Epstein was arrested earlier in 2006 on “multiple counts of unlawful sex with a minor.” Epstein’s arrest was widely covered in the US media. So, in 2009, when Maxwell hosted the party for Nair’s film, Nair likely knew that Maxwell’s boyfriend Epstein was convicted of sex crimes.

In lawsuits, Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims, said that, “starting when she was 17, (in 2001) Epstein and his girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, set up sexual encounters with royalty, politicians, academicians, businessmen and other rich and powerful men, including Britain’s Prince Andrew. All of those men deny the allegations,” PBS reported. Giuffre was 41-years-old when she died by suicide in 2025. Andrew was stripped off his royal titles, homes and funds by the British monarchy after his name appeared more than fifty times in the Epstein files.

In 2022, Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison after a a jury convicted her of multiple chargesincluding sex trafficking, conspiracy and transportation of a minor for illegal sexual activity. She is the daughter of the late Robert Maxwell, 1923-1991, a Czechoslovakia-born British publisher. “His financial risks led him into grand fraud and an apparent suicide” at sea, off Canary Islands, according to Britannica.

Epstein was arrested again in 2019, but died by suicide while awaiting trial in a New York City prison. At his death, Epstein, who was reported to be an adviser to several wealthy people, had a net worth of nearly $600 millionaccording to Forbes.

Besides Ameliafeature films directed by Nair include Hello Bombay (1988), Mississippi Masala (1991), The Perez Family (1995), Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996), Hysterical Blindness (2002), Vanity Fair (2004), The Namesake (2006), The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012), and the Queen of Katwe (2016). Monsoon Wedding2001, is Nair’s highest rated film on Rotten Tomatoesa film review site, while Amelia, 2009, is the lowest rated.

Nair began her film career as an actor and then turned to directing starting with documentaries, including So Far From India, and India Cabaret; and later in 1999, The Laughing Club of India.

Mira Nair, 68-years-old, was born in Rourkela, Odisha, India, and educated at Delhi University and at Harvard. She lives in New York City with her husband Mahmood Mamdani, who is a Professor of Government at Columbia University. Her first marriage was to Mitch Epstein, no relation of Jeffrey Epstein.

“I’ve always been drawn to stories of those who are considered marginalized. If you’re not in the mainstream or if you’re not in the stream at all, you’re virtually invisible,” Nair told the Ford Foundation.

Among the questions Nair needs to answer are: Why did she agree to Maxwell hosting a party for her film when it was known that Maxwell was the girlfriend of convicted sex offender Epstein? Did Nair have any financial or other ties to Maxwell and Epstein? How long did Nair remain in contact with Maxwell? Till Maxwell’s conviction in 2022? Did Nair offer Maxwell anything in return for hosting the Amelia party? Was Nair also a client of Peggy Siegel, Epstein and Maxwell’s publicist? If so, for long?

Some rich and powerful men and women try to scrub their reputations by becoming patrons of culture, philanthropy, and other causes. Was this why Ghislaine Maxwell hosted a party for Mira Nair?

In turn, some of those working in films, art, philanthropy, and social fields, believe they are doing “god’s work.” So, they rationalize seeking and accepting funding and other support from tainted sources, even from convicted criminals, as helping them do their work. This brings up one more question for Mira Nair: does she hold a similar view which led her to ask Maxwell to host the Amelia film party?

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