‘Yes to Donna’: Jeffrey Epstein grew to become fixated with TV star Donna Air after his launch from jail, emails present
Paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein became fixated with Byker Grove star Donna Air after his release from prison, emails show.
A trove of documents released by the US Department of Justice reveals the duo exchanged several emails after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution for a minor.
Ms Air, who rose to fame after appearing on Byker Grove, where she portrayed Charlie Charlton for three years, was in a long-term relationship with James Middleton, the younger brother of Princess Catherine.
And between 2011 and 2012, before she was introduced to him by Princess Eugenie, the term ‘Donna Air’ was mentioned 224 times among the three million pages in the Epstein Files.
Interactions between Epstein and Ms Air started after Italian hedge-fund manager Tancredi Marchiolo contacted the sex offender and told him he was venturing to New York with his ‘good friend’ Donna, according to The Sun.
The asset manager asked his paedophile friend: ‘Let me know if you want to meet her?’.
Three other women were mentioned in the correspondence by Marchiolo, however their names have been redacted by US officials.
In response, the disgraced financier asked Marchiolo which one was the actress, and he answered: ‘Donna is on the internet. She’s more institutional than these 3. Know her very well.’ The convicted paedophile then responded: ‘Yes to Donna’.
Donna Air and Princess Beatrice pictured at a Fundraising dinner at The Dorchester in London on March 10, 2012
A trove of documents released by the US Department of Justice reveals the actress and Epstein exchanged several emails after his 2008 conviction for child sex offences
Marchiolo then told Epstein he had given his number to Ms Air and that she would call him on Tuesday or Wednesday. ‘Feel free to call her before then if you want, she is expecting you,’ he penned.
The exchanges between Ms Air and Epstein began a year after he had served a 13-month prison stint and a year on house arrest for child sex offences in Florida.
Donna, who shares a daughter with millionaire conservationist Damian Aspinall, and Epstein appeared to have planned to convene in New York and Paris across several emails, The Sun reported.
The disgraced financier would ask his assistant for reminders to contact the actress, while a diary entry was made for July 21, 2011. However, there is no suggestion that the pair met on that day.
However, correspondence between the pair appears to show they met on two occasions on April 18, 2012, with the financier sending a message to the actress in the early hours, which read: ‘Sorry, time was too short’.
The Byker Grove actress appeared to have replied: ‘No worries. Good to meet, have a great week!’
Later that same day, Epstein said he had become ‘unexpectedly’ free that evening, to which the actress said she could come around ‘for a cuppa’ on her way to a dinner, to which he was invited.
The paedophile again told her their meeting was ‘much much too short’, with the actress replying: ‘Short but sweet, take care & good luck with it all.’
Sources have claimed Ms Air (pictured in 2024) never agreed to meet the paedophile financier and that he would arrive at places she was attending and get in contact with her after the fact.
In the same month, the duo also appeared to have been in correspondence via Skype, and Epstein also invited her to a party in Paris at the ‘US ambassador’s house’. It is not known whether the actress attended.
In response to a message from the sex offender on June 30, Donna wrote: ‘Thought of u Just this morning!’
The final set of messages between the pair seems to be on August 18, 2012, where the Byker Grove star told Epstein she was jetting to Ibiza.
There is no suggestion that Ms Air was involved in any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
Ms Air met James Middleton the following February at a private members’ club in Mayfair, London, and the pair were in an on-off relationship until 2018, during which she attended the wedding of his sister, Pippa.
And it was not the first time the actress rubbed shoulders with society’s A-listers, having previously worked with Ant and Dec on Byker Grove as well as being a part of the 90s Primrose Hill Set, which included the likes of Kate Moss as well as Noel and Liam Gallagher.
Following her relationship with Mr Middleton, Ms Air reportedly had a romantic relationship with property developer Ben Carrington before making appearances on BBC drama, The Split as well as ITV’s Dancing on Ice.
She also previously had a relationship with businessman Damian Aspinall between 2000 and 2007.
Of her relationship with Mr Middleton, Donna previously said: ‘He’s a great guy. I wish him nothing but happiness.’
In 2021, Mr Middleton later went on to wed Alizee Thevenet, a French financial analyst.
Sources have claimed Ms Air never agreed to meet the paedophile financier and that he would arrive at places she was attending and get in contact with her after the fact.
The Daily Mail has approached Donna Air’s representatives for comment.
