'Surviving Jeffrey Epstein': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about the Lifetime documentary
Financier Jeffrey Epstein's life and death remain shrouded in mystery. In July 2019, he was arrested on federal charges for sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York. A month later, on August 10, he was found dead in his jail cell. While his death was ruled a suicide, conspiracies abound that Epstein was, in fact, murdered to avoid him testifying about other powerful people he served with his trafficking ring. Many personalities from Donald Trump to Bill Clinton have been accused of being Epstein's clients. But often, the voices of his victims are not heard unless they have salacious details.
A new Lifetime documentary, 'Surviving Jeffrey Epstein' attempts to investigate the charges of sexually abusing young girls against the New York financier and features firsthand accounts and insights from those who have spent time with him. The new project is part of the network’s 'Stop Violence Against Women' initiative to empower women. Lifetime has partnered with nonprofit Rise to run a public service announcement during the documentary's run to encourage survivors to use their voice to help establish a Survivors' Bill of Rights in their states. The network will also run a PSA from nonprofit RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) to provide resources and a hotline for those in need.
Read on to know more details about the documentary:
Release date
'Surviving Jeffrey Epstein' will be a two-night event premiering on Lifetime on August 9 at 9/8c.
Plot
The official synopsis for the documentary states, "Following the impact of Lifetime's 'Surviving R Kelly' and 'Surviving R Kelly Part II: The Reckoning', the network continues to raise the voices of survivors with 'Surviving Jeffrey Epstein', in line with Lifetime's Stop Violence Against Women initiative to provide a platform and resources for women. The four-hour doc investigates the billionaire New York financier who is alleged to have used his connections to the rich and famous to shield his predatory behavior with young girls. Revealing how Epstein set up a pseudo-sexual Ponzi scheme to bring in underaged girls, the doc delves into the aftermath the survivors are experiencing with no justice to be served."
Cast
Much like the network’s 'Surviving R. Kelly', 'Surviving Jeffrey Epstein' will feature several in-depth interviews with women who claim to have been trafficked by Epstein. The four-hour special will feature journalist and TV presenter Christopher Mason who told New York Post earlier this year on Ghislaine Maxwell's arrest, "I'm absolutely worried for Ghislaine’s safety. I kind of don’t believe he [Epstein] committed suicide… His death seemed exceedingly convenient for many."
Director/Producers
'Surviving Jeffrey Epstein' was executive produced by Emmy winner Robert Friedman ('Panama Papers') and directed by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern ('Reversing Roe'). Shura Davison and Gena McCarthy executive produce for Lifetime.
Trailer
The one-minute trailer introduces eight survivors who are the narrators of the film. They speak of being abused by Epstein in their teenage years and speak up for the "thousands of [sexual abuse] survivors".
"Being abused by Jeffrey Epstein is a life sentence," an unnamed interviewee says in the trailer. Another adds: "I was a human baton passed from one person to another. Ghislaine knew exactly how to pull you in," as a third woman comments: "She told me, 'Just do whatever he wants'."
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'Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich'
'Who Killed Jeffrey Epstein?'
'Surviving R Kelly'
'Surviving R Kelly Part II: The Reckoning'
'Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness'