Podcast host Joe Rogan disclosed he turned down an attempt to connect him with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The revelation came during Tuesday’s episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” featuring actress Cheryl Hines. Rogan discussed his inclusion in the massive DOJ file dump related to the disgraced financier.
According to the documents, Epstein reached out to former Rogan podcast guest Canadian theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss.
The convicted predator had watched the guest’s appearance on the show and expressed interest in meeting the popular host.
In a September 2017 email exchange, Epstein told the physicist he found Rogan “funny” after viewing his podcast appearance. He requested an introduction to the UFC commentator.
The guest initially agreed to reach out to Rogan or his production team. However, days later, the intermediary reported back with Rogan’s rejection.
The physicist described Rogan as more “timid that I would have thought” in his response to Epstein. This characterization did not sit well with the podcast host.
Rogan emphatically rejected any suggestion he was interested in the meeting. He recalled his blunt response to the request during the recent episode.
“I was like, are you high?” Rogan said, recounting his reaction to the proposal. “Like what the f**k are you talking about?”
The podcaster emphasized he would never have accepted such a meeting. He stated he researched Epstein online before making his decision.
Epstein had been arrested in Florida and convicted in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution. This occurred nearly a decade before the attempted introduction to Rogan.
Rogan suggested that only individuals “interested in sucking up to the rich and powerful” wanted association with Epstein. He distanced himself from those seeking proximity to the financier.
The Justice Department’s document release included previously unseen photographs of Epstein with numerous prominent figures. These images featured politicians and entertainment industry celebrities.
Among those pictured with Epstein were Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Mick Jagger, and Michael Jackson. The files also contained images of Bill Clinton.
On Feb. 9, the Prince and Princess of Wales issued their first public statement on the Epstein scandal. The two declared they are “deeply concerned” by ongoing revelations surrounding the deceased financier’s global child sex trafficking network.
Public attention to the Epstein case surged following the FBI and DOJ joint memo released in July. The memo concluded Epstein committed suicide in jail and did not maintain a “client list.”
Rogan appeared in headlines last week after former podcast guest Peter Attia, a 52-year-old specialist in metabolic health and longevity medicine who was recently appointed as a CBS News contributor, appeared in the Epstein files 1,741 times.
In one 2015 email, Attia wrote to Epstein expressing frustration about being unable to share details of their friendship.
In a 2016 email, Attia made an inappropriate joke about female anatomy in the context of dietary advice. “P***y is, indeed, low carb. Still awaiting results on gluten, though,” he said.
Additional correspondence shows Attia maintained contact with Epstein’s inner circle. In an email to Lesley Groff, who served as Epstein’s longtime assistant and planner, Attia complained about missing the financier’s company.
