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Richard Branson: Sexual Allegations, Necker Island and Jeffrey Epstein

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ByEpsteinWiki

Snapshot

Richard Branson has faced two publicly reported allegations of unwanted sexual touching. Former Virgin Atlantic employee Elizabeth Hlinko alleged that he grabbed or fondled her breasts at his home in England in 1994. Singer Antonia Jenae alleged that he pressed his face against her breasts at a party on Necker Island in 2010. Branson said he did not recall either alleged incident.

Two other accounts require careful distinction. Formula One driver Jenson Button wrote that Branson touched his then girlfriend Jessica Michibata’s face and made her uncomfortable in 2009. Epstein survivor Sarah Ransome claimed that Epstein filmed an unnamed friend having sex with Branson. Ransome withdrew the tape claim, later said she had invented the tapes, and subsequently said she stood by her account. No substantiating recording has been made public.

Necker Island also hosted gatherings involving NXIVM members and visits by Jeffrey Epstein. Those documented connections are relevant to the island’s history. They do not establish that Branson participated in NXIVM’s or Epstein’s sexual crimes.

Key Takeaways

  • Antonia Jenae made the direct sexual misconduct allegation concerning Necker Island. She described an incident at a June 2010 party. Branson said he had no recollection of it.
  • Elizabeth Hlinko’s earlier allegation concerned Branson’s home in England. She filed a federal lawsuit in 1996 concerning alleged conduct in May 1994.
  • Jenson Button described an encounter involving Jessica Michibata. His account concerns unwanted attention and touching of her face at a Melbourne restaurant in 2009.
  • Sarah Ransome’s claim about a recording remains unsubstantiated. Her statements about the tapes changed, no substantiating tape has been made public, and the disclosed claim does not place the alleged encounter on Necker Island.
  • Epstein visited Necker Island in 2013. Released correspondence and schedules document contact with Branson after Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
  • NXIVM members gathered on Necker Island. The available evidence does not establish that the group’s sexual crimes occurred there or that Branson participated in them.

Allegations Against Richard Branson

  • Elizabeth Hlinko, May 1994: Hlinko alleged in a 1996 lawsuit that Branson made unwanted advances and grabbed or fondled her breasts at his home in England. She also alleged discrimination involving Virgin Atlantic after the incident. Branson said he did not recall the alleged touching and contested the suit. The sources reviewed for this article do not establish the final disposition of each claim.
  • Jessica Michibata, 2009: Jenson Button wrote in his autobiography that Branson flirted with his then girlfriend, touched her face and made her uncomfortable at a Melbourne restaurant. This is Button’s published account of Michibata’s experience.
  • Antonia Jenae, June 2010: Jenae alleged that Branson pressed his face against her breasts and made a motorboat sound at a party on Necker Island. She also said he tried to persuade her to show him her breasts. Branson’s spokesperson said he had no recollection of the alleged incident and apologized if anyone had felt uncomfortable. A video reportedly captured Jenae’s reaction afterward, not the alleged contact itself.
  • Sarah Ransome’s disputed claim, made in 2016: Ransome claimed in emails later disclosed in litigation that Epstein filmed an unnamed friend having sex with Branson. She withdrew the tape claim, told The New Yorker that she had invented the tapes, and later said she stood by her account. No substantiating recording has been made public. The disclosed allegation does not identify Necker Island as the location.

Elizabeth Hlinko’s Lawsuit

The Independent’s April 1996 reporting described Hlinko as a former Virgin Atlantic public relations manager. She alleged that Branson touched her breasts during a May 1994 event at his British country home in the presence of employees and guests. Her suit also named Virgin Atlantic executive David Tait and described workplace discrimination after the alleged incident.

UPI’s account of the complaint reported that Branson’s lawyer denied the allegation. Branson himself told The Independent that he did not remember the incident and intended to fight the suit. He said his lawyers had rejected an earlier request for a private settlement. That rejected request does not establish how the case ended.

The location matters: Hlinko’s allegation concerns Branson’s property in England. It is not an allegation about Necker Island.

Jenson Button’s Account Involving Jessica Michibata

Button’s published account concerns a dinner during the 2009 Australian Grand Prix. According to Button, Branson approached his table while drunk, flirted with Michibata and put a hand on her face. Button wrote that she was uncomfortable, that he confronted Branson and that Branson later apologized to him.

The account became public in October 2017. It describes conduct different from the breast touching alleged by Hlinko and Jenae. It also places the encounter in Melbourne, not on Necker Island.

Antonia Jenae’s Allegation on Necker Island

Sky News reported Jenae’s account of a party on Necker Island in June 2010. Jenae, a singer visiting with Joss Stone’s group, said Branson approached her near a bar, pressed his face against her breasts, made a motorboat sound and walked away. She also said he had tried to persuade her to show him her breasts.

Jenae said a video recorded her reaction after the alleged incident. The reporting does not say that the alleged contact itself was filmed. Stone’s representative declined to comment on Jenae’s account.

Virgin Management confirmed that Stone, members of her family and her band were invited to Necker Island. Its spokeswoman said Branson and family and friends who were present had no recollection of the alleged incident. She added that Branson apologized if anyone felt uncomfortable. Virgin also released a statement from Stone’s father saying the group had enjoyed the afternoon. His description does not determine whether Jenae’s specific alleged encounter occurred.

This is the identified, publicly reported allegation of direct unwanted sexual touching by Branson on Necker Island.

NXIVM Gatherings on Necker Island

Necker Island is Branson’s private island in the British Virgin Islands. It is also available for private hire. Sara and Clare Bronfman, both involved with NXIVM, hired the island for gatherings attended by group members.

Frank Parlato’s investigation identifies gatherings in 2007 and 2010, reports that NXIVM members held seminars, and describes photographs of Branson with attendees. Parlato also attributed an account of pole dancing at parties to a former insider. Those accounts do not establish that trafficking or sexual assault occurred on Necker Island.

A 2010 Vanity Fair investigation reported that Sara Bronfman’s connections helped arrange a VIP session with Branson on his island. It also identified Branson among people who had taken an Executive Success Programs course. Branson’s representatives later gave a different account of his involvement.

His spokesperson acknowledged that the Bronfman sisters hired Necker Island and that NXIVM team members gathered there. The spokesperson said Branson had no association with NXIVM leader Keith Raniere, no recollection of taking part in a NXIVM seminar and no knowledge of allegations against the group. The spokesperson also said Branson did not host its courses.

The United States Department of Justice reported that Raniere was convicted of crimes including racketeering and sex trafficking. His conviction does not establish that those crimes happened on Necker Island or that Branson participated in them.

One NXIVM gathering and Jenae’s alleged encounter both occurred in 2010. The reviewed material does not establish that they happened during the same visit.

Epstein’s Visits to Necker Island

The Financial Times reported that Jeffrey Epstein visited Necker Island three times in 2013. Before an April visit, Epstein referred to bringing “2 Russian girls” who needed visas. That phrase does not establish their ages, their circumstances or any sexual crime on the island.

September 2013 correspondence, EFTA00717415, records Branson telling Epstein it had been nice seeing him and inviting him to return, adding, “As long as you bring your harem!” In the same exchange, Branson suggested a public relations message in which Bill Gates would say Epstein had previously slept with a woman aged 17½, had been punished and had learned his lesson.

The email establishes what Branson wrote after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution. It does not establish what Branson knew about the full extent of Epstein’s abuse. Sky News reported Virgin’s explanation that Epstein had used “harem” to refer to three adult women accompanying him, that they did not attend a business meeting and that Branson regretted repeating the term.

Virgin described the Bransons’ contact with Epstein as limited to a few group or business settings. The Financial Times’ count of three Necker visits should not automatically be read as three private meetings with Branson.

Necker Cup correspondence, EFTA02124635, concerns Epstein’s contact with the island tennis event. A November 2013 schedule, EFTA00284786, records planned travel to Necker for the event. Those records document access and arrangements. They do not establish participation in sexual abuse.

Branson and Epstein’s Little Saint James

The November 2013 schedule, EFTA00284786, also records a plan for Epstein’s pilot to collect Branson from Necker Island on November 29 and bring him to Little Saint James for lunch. Correspondence in EFTA02121371 and EFTA00977255 concerns helicopter arrangements and passenger information.

Reporting on the helicopter logs described Branson’s travel that day. Virgin acknowledged brief helicopter trips but said Branson flew alone on both legs.

Necker Island and Little Saint James are different properties. Necker is Branson’s island in the British Virgin Islands. Little Saint James was Epstein’s island in the United States Virgin Islands. The schedule and travel reporting establish contact and travel. They do not establish sexual misconduct during the visit.

The WildAid Donation

Epstein offered to contribute to charitable work connected with Branson. Virgin says it conducted due diligence, declined to accept a direct donation for Virgin Unite and that Richard and Joan Branson then decided against further contact.

The Financial Times documented a separate donation. After Virgin Unite declined Epstein’s money, its chief executive directed Epstein’s assistant to WildAid, an independent conservation charity associated with Branson’s philanthropic work. Epstein’s Enhanced Education foundation donated $50,000 to WildAid in November 2013.

WildAid confirmed that it received the donation, said it disclosed the gift in its annual report and said its staff and leadership had not met Epstein or his representatives. Virgin said Branson and Virgin Unite did not control which donations WildAid accepted.

Virgin Unite’s refusal and WildAid’s receipt are both parts of the documented sequence.

Sarah Ransome’s Disputed Tape Claim

The Guardian reported on emails in which Sarah Ransome claimed that Epstein had filmed an unnamed friend having sex with Branson and other prominent men. The emails became public through litigation.

Ransome withdrew the claims. In a 2019 interview with The New Yorker, she said she had invented the tapes to draw attention to Epstein and to make him believe she held evidence that could protect her. She later said she stood by her account and had withdrawn it because she felt threatened. Virgin described the Branson claim as baseless.

No recording substantiating the claim has been produced publicly. The disclosed allegation does not establish where the alleged encounter occurred. It cannot be presented as a proven incident on Necker Island.

Questions About the Record

Was Branson accused of sexual misconduct on Necker Island? Yes. Antonia Jenae alleged unwanted sexual touching at a party there in June 2010. Branson said he had no recollection of it.

Was Elizabeth Hlinko’s allegation about Necker Island? No. Her lawsuit described an event at Branson’s home in England.

Did Epstein visit Necker Island? Yes. The Financial Times reported three visits in 2013, and released correspondence and schedules document island contact.

Do the NXIVM gatherings establish sexual crimes on Necker Island? No. The rentals and gatherings are documented, but the reviewed evidence does not establish that the group’s sexual crimes occurred there.

Do the Epstein records establish that Branson participated in Epstein’s abuse? No. The cited records document meetings, correspondence, charitable discussions and travel arrangements. They do not establish his participation in Epstein’s sexual crimes.

Evidence Appearances

Sources

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