'We know about your mom': Epstein Files spark protest outside Zohran Mamdani's home after records name his mother Mira Nair

File photo of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his mother Mira Nair.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced protests outside Gracie Mansion after Epstein-related records mentioned his mother, filmmaker Mira Nair, at a 2009 Ghislaine Maxwell party. The documents sparked public anger, though no wrongdoing by Nair is alleged.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced angry protests outside Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the mayor, after newly released Jeffrey Epstein–related records mentioned his mother, filmmaker Mira Nair.

Videos circulating on social media showed a group of residents gathered outside the mansion, shouting “shame” through a megaphone and accusing Mamdani of betraying their trust.

“That’s right, we know about your mom. Now listen. We was with you, Zohran. We voted for you, Zohran. We advocated for you, Zohran. We advocated for you,” one protester could be heard shouting.

“You ain’t getting nothing, get up in here and you lie to us. You lied, Zohran. Shame, Zohran!” another voice added.

Why Mira Nair’s name surfaced

The protest followed the appearance of Mira Nair’s name in an email included in the latest batch of Epstein-related documents. The email was linked to a 2009 social gathering hosted at the Manhattan townhouse of Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein.

The email described an “after party” following a film screening and listed several high-profile attendees. It named Bill Clinton, Jeff Bezos, and Mira Nair among those present.

An email dated October 21, 2009, sent by American publicist Peggy Siegal, read:

“Just left Ghislaine’s townhouse… after party for film. Bill Clinton and Jeff Bezos were there… Jean Pigozzi, director Mira Nair…etc. Film received tepid reaction although women like it much more… Hillary Swank and Gere at stupid party in Bloomingdales cheap sportwear department… very weird.”

It continued: “Studio went for free party from store and windows for a month… Going to be in Wall Street 2 tomorrow…. more to come. xoxo Peg.”

While the email did not specify the title of the film, it appeared to refer to Nair’s 2009 movie Amelia, starring Hillary Swank and Richard Gere.

Context of the Epstein file release

On Friday, the US Department of Justice released more than three million additional pages of Epstein-related records under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by Donald Trump in November 2025.

The latest release included more than 2,000 videos and 1,80,000 images, bringing the total number of publicly released pages to nearly 3.5 million. The material was drawn from multiple investigations, including federal cases in Florida and New York, the prosecution of Maxwell, probes into Epstein’s death, and several FBI and inspector general investigations.

Mamdani’s political backdrop

Zohran Mamdani assumed office as mayor of New York City on January 1 after defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. At 34, he became the city’s youngest and first Muslim mayor.

While the documents do not allege wrongdoing by Mira Nair, the appearance of her name in the Epstein-related records has fuelled political anger and public backlash that has now spilled directly onto Mamdani’s doorstep.