Inside Steve Bannon and Jeffrey Epstein’s Disturbingly Close Friendship

Plus: Something's Rotten in the Norwegian Royal Family

View in browser | Update preferences SUBSCRIBE FOR FULL ACCESS You know Steve Bannon's schtick: Down with global elites, but I'll be campaigning courtesy of a Chinese business man's private jet, in my $495 Barbour Bedale, yada yada yada. So it should be no surprise that among the, ah, contradictions of such a man is his apparently close, lasting friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the embodiment of crony criminality. VF Washington correspondent Aidan McLaughlin digs into the newly released files to examine the correspondence between the two men, which continued to the very end of Epstein's freedom. What, McLaughlin wonders, will MAGA World do about it, if anything? If your eyes need a break from that hidzo mirror selfie, we've got great Wuthering Heights coverage at Vanity Fair, including Natasha O'Neill's marvelous comparison of Emerald Fennell's film to Emily Brontë's book. (Plenty of disturbing material there too—I suppose it is Friday the 13th…) CLAIRE HOWORTH, DEPUTY EDITOR "You Up???" Inside Steve Bannon and Jeffrey Epstein's Disturbingly Close Friendship BY AIDAN MCLAUGHLIN The new Epstein files are a peek into the Trump consigliere's chummy relationship with the sex offender, from late-night notes to private jet rides. Will MAGA even care? READ MORE More Great Reads FILM Wuthering Heights: The 7 Biggest Changes From Book to Screen BY NATASHA O'NEILL If you're interested in just how much poetic license Emerald Fennell takes (short answer: lots), and were too busy daydreaming about your own Heathcliff during sophomore English to remember what actually happens in Wuthering Heights (red flag), worry not! Ahead, a brush-up on the novel and how it compares to its latest interpretation. READ MORE TELEVISION Inside JFK Jr. and Daryl Hannah's Tumultuous Relationship BY CHRIS MURPHY Before the Kennedy scion met Carolyn Bessette, he had an entanglement with one of the biggest Hollywood stars of his day: "Even if you didn't know who they were, you'd be entranced." READ MORE ROYALS Something's Rotten in the Norwegian Royal Family BY ELISE TAYLOR Norway's monarchy is currently weathering two separate, spectacular scandals with Crown Princess Mette-Marit's appearance in the Epstein files and her son's highly publicized rape trial. READ MORE From the Archive Secrets and Lies BY EDWARD KLEIN All the world knows the end of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's story. The hidden chapter was the gradual unraveling of their marriage as it slid from wedding-day hysterics into a spiral of depression, drugs, and violence. From the August 2003 issue, Edward Klein explores the conflicts—over starting a family, George magazine, and life in the spotlight—that drove Kennedy and Bessette apart, despite interventions by a couples therapist and, fatally, Carolyn's sister Lauren. READ MORE In Other News The Unexpected Star of Heated Rivalry Two sex symbols, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, were born with the premiere of the steamy show, but a piece of Canadian real estate has earned an alluring status as well. Kate Middleton Heads to School The Princess of Wales was the picture of preppy perfection at Castle Hill Academy in Croydon to mark Children's Mental Health Week. MORE FROM VANITY FAIR POLITICS BUSINESS HOLLYWOOD STYLE ROYALS CELEBRITY This e-mail was sent to you by VANITY FAIR. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2026. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.