Jeffrey Epstein didn’t just have a notorious island and a diamond ring—he also allegedly played matchmaker in a sham same-𝒔𝒆𝒙 wedding to keep his Belarusian girlfriend from being deported, newly released Department of Justice emails reveal.
The disgraced financier reportedly helped Karyna Shuliak, now 37, avoid deportation by pairing her up with a woman in an arranged marriage in 2013, according to a New York Times report based on the trove of emails.
Shuliak had come to the US on a student visa in 2010 but let it expire before applying to Columbia University’s prestigious dentistry program in 2012. Epstein stepped in to help.
In a March 2013 email, Epstein reportedly wrote to Shuliak, “I think its time you found an American girlfriend. Same 𝒔𝒆𝒙 marriage will be the fastes way to green card. By far.”
The financier then selected a 30-year-old assistant from Minnesota, whose name is redacted, to become Shuliak’s bride. The two legally married at the New York City Clerk’s Office on October 9, 2013, just over two years after same-𝒔𝒆𝒙 marriage became legal in NYC.
Shuliak’s green card application went through, and she became a US citizen in May 2018. The couple divorced the following year.
But a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform report claimed the spouse was “forced” into the marriage by Epstein. The woman reportedly had no idea a deportation hearing was scheduled just days after the ceremony.
The committee described the union as “illusory,” arranged solely to give Shuliak a legal basis to stay in the country. Still, no legal challenge to her citizenship was recommended.
Shuliak, who graduated from Columbia in 2015, was Epstein’s last-known girlfriend. According to reports, she was set to inherit $100 million, a 32-carat engagement ring, and properties including his notorious “Pedo Island” under a will signed just two days before his 2019 suicide.
Other beneficiaries included convicted Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and his brother Mark, each reportedly in line for $10 million.
Shuliak has not been charged with any crime, nor has she been named as an Epstein victim. The day before his death, Epstein reportedly told her to “be strong,” according to her lawyer.
So, when a billionaire plays cupid for an expired visa, how far does the puppet master’s influence really reach?
