Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 9: Widespread public outrage has erupted following malicious attempts to link the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama with convicted paedophile and financier Jeffery Epstein, a claim that has been categorically rejected by the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (OHHDL) and strongly condemned by Indian political leaders.
The controversy stems from a large tranche of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case that were recently made public or searchable online by the US Department of Justice. Keyword searches of the database show the term “Dalai Lama” appears between 157 and 169 times across emails, scanned document indexes, and archived materials.
While the name appears in the files, there is no evidence whatsoever of any meeting, communication, or association. The majority of mentions stem from shared or forwarded news articles. The files reportedly contain only three email references, including emails in which Epstein sought a meeting and correspondence involving Indian-American author Deepak Chopra—none of which confirm any interaction with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The narrative gained traction in early February 2026 after the Russian state-linked outlet RT posted on X, claiming that “Dalai Lama met with Jeffrey Epstein — newly released emails,” highlighting the number of mentions in the files. The post was among the earliest social media assertions attempting to draw a direct connection.
Soon after, Chinese state media, including China Global Television Network (CGTN), amplified the claims, publishing reports around February 5 that emphasised the frequency of the Dalai Lama’s name in the documents and selectively highlighted email references, including a 2012 email mentioning a possible island event.
Prominent leaders, including Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, and Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, took to the social media platform X to denounce the allegations, describing them as baseless, unfounded, and malicious attempts to defame the nonagenarian Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (OHHDL) on Sunday also issued a firm statement rejecting recent media reports and social media posts attempting to associate His Holiness with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The office stressed there has never been any meeting or interaction between the Dalai Lama and Epstein, either directly or through any authorised representative.
“We can unequivocally confirm that His Holiness has never met Jeffrey Epstein or authorised any meeting or interaction with him by anyone on His Holiness’s behalf,” the office stated.
Observers say that the incident is a deliberate smear campaign, concocted by China to exploit the controversy through online disinformation and coordinated amplification to undermine the credibility and moral standing of one of the world’s most respected spiritual figures.
