The newly released Jeffrey Epstein files have dragged many familiar names back into public conversation, but the mention of Timothée Chalamet stands apart for one important reason. The actor was not implicated in wrongdoing.
The documents reportedly show that American publicist Peggy Siegal referenced Chalamet while updating Epstein in 2018, not about Epstein himself, but about the cultural backlash surrounding Woody Allen and the moral pressure actors faced at the time. As the Justice Department’s release peeled back layers of correspondence, another striking detail emerged (per IB Times).
Chalamet donated his entire fee from A Rainy Day in New York to Time’s Up, the LGBT Centre in New York, and RAINN, then publicly distanced himself from the film as Dylan Farrow’s Los Angeles Times op-ed, which reignited long-standing abuse allegations. Allen has denied those claims and later accused Chalamet of acting out of Oscar ambition, writing that the actor denounced him to improve his chances for Call Me by Your Name (via The Independent).
As of now, Chalamet has not responded to the resurfaced emails, but the fallout has reopened an old debate.
Woody Allen’s wife, Calls Timothée Chalamet a ‘Prick’ – Epstein Files
Among the most striking revelations in the Epstein files is an alleged email dated July 27, 2018, attributed to Woody Allen‘s wife, Soon-Yi Previn, reacting to Timothée Chalamet’s stance against A Rainy Day in New York. The email shared a New York Times review critical of Hot Summer Nights, another film starring the actor, and included the line:
I’m glad that prick Chalamet’s movie did not get a good review. No I’m not vindictive. :-)”.
Earlier that year, Chalamet, then 22, announced he would donate his entire fee from Allen’s film to Time’s Up, the LGBT Centre New York, and RAINN. At the time, he explained on Instagram that he could not fully address his decision due to contractual obligations, but made one point clear. He did not want to profit from the project.
His withdrawal came just weeks after Dylan Farrow’s Los Angeles Times op-ed, titled Why has the #MeToo revolution spared Woody Allen?, reignited scrutiny around the director. Chalamet was not alone. Co-stars Selena Gomez, Rebecca Hall, and Griffin Newman also donated their salaries.
Allen, however, has remained openly critical. In his 2020 memoir Apropos of Nothing, he alleged that Chalamet’s decision was influenced by Oscar ambitions. He later doubled down during a 2025 appearance on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast, saying (via Far Out Magazine):
They are making a mistake… they think that they’re doing something honourable or helpful, but they’re not.
A Rainy Day in New York is a romantic comedy about a college couple whose supposedly dreamy weekend in Manhattan falls apart, revealing how badly matched they really are.
Was Timothée Chalamet “Forced” to Step Away From Woody Allen?
According to correspondence from Peggy Siegal, Timothée Chalamet was “sick” over how events unfolded and was “forced” by his agents to publicly distance himself from Allen amid mounting media pressure. Siegal wrote that the actor was treated as a “pawn in a bigger game” and needed space to continue campaigning for Call Me By Your Name without relentless scrutiny (per World of Reel).
The email suggests Chalamet was caught between public expectation and professional survival. Siegal noted that he was “genuinely upset about the whole thing” and struggling under the weight of a controversy he did not create.
Allen, however, has rejected that framing. In Apropos of Nothing, he claimed Chalamet admitted privately that the donation was a strategic move tied to awards season, writing:
Timothée afterward publicly stated he regretted working with me and was giving the money to charity… so he did.
Was Chalamet acting on conscience, calculation, or a mixture of both? What do you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and tell us where you stand. For more deep dives into Hollywood’s most uncomfortable conversations, follow FandomWire and stay tuned.
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