CBS Boss’s Wife Busted Being ‘Friendly’ with Epstein

The name of CBS News’ top editor is now tangled in the Epstein scandal — but not for the reason many expected.

Newly released Justice Department records show that Nellie Bowles, the journalist wife of CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, exchanged friendly emails with Jeffrey Epstein while working as a reporter at The New York Times.

The correspondence, revealed in the latest 2026 tranche of Epstein files, includes personal conversations about Bowles’ romantic life — sent directly to the convicted sex offender less than a year before his final arrest.

Bowles, who later co-founded The Free Press with Weiss, appears repeatedly in scheduling logs and email chains tied to Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse.

At the time, Bowles was a rising media figure covering tech and internet culture for the Times.

According to DOJ records, Bowles was scheduled to meet Epstein at his New York home at 11 a.m. on September 5, 2018.

The meeting was arranged through Epstein’s longtime assistant, Lesley Groff, and pitched by Masha Drokova — a Russian PR operative who worked with Epstein before reinventing herself as a Silicon Valley venture capitalist.

In one email sent to Epstein, Drokova described Bowles as a “fun and smart” New York Times reporter and suggested an informal meetup.

“No agenda. Just for fun,” she wrote.

Epstein replied enthusiastically.

Emails show Bowles confirming the meeting multiple times, responding “Confirmed!” on the morning of the scheduled visit.

The meeting took place a decade after Epstein served time in Florida for sex crimes — and just one year before federal prosecutors indicted him for sex trafficking minors.

The most striking emails came weeks later.

In direct correspondence, Epstein asked Bowles about introducing her partner to her family.

“How did it go introducing your partner to mom?” Epstein wrote, adding a joking reference to her career.

Bowles responded days later, laughing off the exchange and confirming the introduction went well.

The partner she referenced was Bari Weiss — now her wife and the powerful editor-in-chief of CBS News.

The two reportedly met while both worked at The New York Times in 2018.

That same day, Epstein followed up with messages referencing Bill Cosby — another convicted sex offender who lived on the same Manhattan block.

Bowles did not respond publicly at the time.

In recent years, Bowles has publicly downplayed the significance of the Epstein files.

In a 2025 post, she mocked Democrats for tying the scandal to President Donald Trump, calling Epstein “an everyone problem” and suggesting his social circle skewed heavily toward elite liberals.

“He mostly circulated in elite lib spaces,” Bowles wrote. “Even I met him once.”

What she did not previously disclose was the nature of her contact — or the personal familiarity reflected in the emails.

After screenshots circulated on social media this week, Bowles defended herself on X, insisting her interaction with Epstein was journalistic and already disclosed.

“So secret that I wrote about it,” she posted, linking to past New York Times articles.

But critics note those articles did not clearly state she had met Epstein privately or exchanged personal emails with him.

Bowles is far from the only journalist named in the files.

The latest DOJ release — more than 3 million documents — shows Epstein maintained extensive relationships with reporters, editors, and television personalities across major networks.

Some were pitched book deals.

Others were invited to private dinners long after his first conviction.

Joe Nocera, a columnist at The Free Press, previously condemned journalists who remained in Epstein’s orbit.

“They could have reported him,” Nocera wrote. “Instead, many protected a horrific sexual offender.”

CBS News now finds itself under renewed scrutiny.

The network acquired The Free Press for a reported $150 million in 2025, installing Weiss — who had no prior television newsroom experience — as editor-in-chief.

The deal was backed by media heir David Ellison.

As President Trump begins his second term, pressure is mounting on legacy media organizations to explain their historical ties to Epstein.

The White House has made transparency around elite corruption a recurring theme, and DOJ officials say more disclosures are coming.

Bowles has not responded to requests for comment.

Neither has CBS News.

For now, the emails stand on their own — casual, familiar, and deeply uncomfortable reminders of how close Epstein remained to America’s most influential institutions right up until the end.