Newly declassified records released by the Department of Justice have surfaced a disturbing 2013 email exchange in which Jeffrey Epstein used a graphic culinary metaphor to describe how he viewed young victims, offering one of the most explicit windows yet into his private thinking years after his first criminal conviction.
The email, dated June 18, 2013, was sent from Epstein's private "jeevacation" account and retrieved from the DOJ's Epstein files under document identifier EFTA01758926. The correspondence took place five years after Epstein's 2008 Florida conviction and during a period when he was actively rebuilding his international social and political connections.
In the exchange, Epstein articulated what he described as a personal "philosophy" toward certain individuals. Writing to Olivier Colom, a former adviser connected to the French presidency, Epstein stated: "No, some are like shrimp, you throw away the head and keep the body."
Advocates and legal analysts reviewing the files say the language reflects a stark dehumanization consistent with survivor testimony describing Epstein's treatment of victims as disposable once their perceived physical utility was exhausted. The metaphor, they argue, reduces human beings to consumable objects while explicitly discarding intellect, autonomy and identity.
Colom's response, also preserved in the DOJ transcript, indicates familiarity and comfort with the language. He replied by referencing preference, stating he was "more into white than into any other colour," and affirming Epstein's framing with the words: "I like your philosophy."
The DOJ records show that this exchange was not an isolated lapse but part of a broader pattern in Epstein's private communications. Investigators have long documented how Epstein maintained a public veneer of intellectualism while privately engaging in correspondence that commodified youth and normalized exploitation within elite circles.
At the time of the exchange, Epstein controlled assets estimated at more than £443 million ($577 million), according to records cited in multiple court filings. Maintaining relationships with political advisers, financiers and international figures was central to preserving his influence, even as allegations mounted.
The "jeevacation" email address referenced in the exchange later featured prominently in the 2021 federal trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, where prosecutors detailed how Epstein and Maxwell coordinated travel, recruitment and housing for minors across jurisdictions.
Legal filings in the Southern District of New York have repeatedly raised questions about the responsibility of Epstein's associates who were exposed to explicit language or conduct but failed to alert authorities. The newly released email has renewed scrutiny of that silence, particularly given its clarity and timing.
