Leon Black Responds to UltraViolet Campaign by Denying the Undeniable

For Immediate Release: October 8, 2026
Contact: media@fwdshift.com

Leon Black Says UltraViolet Should Be “Ashamed.” UltraViolet Says Black’s 8,500+ Mentions in the Epstein Files Speak for Themselves.

See UltraViolet’s Epstein-Black Timeline Here

UltraViolet, a leading national women-led gender-justice organization responsible for numerous impactful victories against sexual predators like Harvey Weinstein and Andrew Tate, held an event outside the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on Tuesday, in partnership with The Trump-Epstein Reading Room, highlighting MoMA trustee Leon Black’s close ties to Epstein and the multiple women who have accused Black of rape. Following the event, which featured a truck full of the Epstein files, where Black is mentioned more than 8,500 times, Black’s spokesperson responded to UltraViolet’s event in The Art Newspaper, issuing an ambiguous denial accusing UltraViolet of lying and telling them they should be “ashamed” for supporting survivors.

“Leon Black says we should be ashamed. We are not,” said Elisa Batista, a campaign director at UltraViolet and one of the main architects of Tuesday’s event, calling on the MoMA to break with Black. “The shame belongs to the man who maintained a close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein for decades and who has faced multiple allegations of sexual abuse. The shame belongs to those accused of rape and the institutions that protect them, not women who support survivors or the survivors who speak out. That includes the multiple women who have sued Leon Black for sexual assault, and the non-disclosure agreements he has muzzled his accusers with. In fact, he was recently held in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions about these NDAs, much less produce them so the world can see who the real Leon Black is. If anyone should be ashamed, it’s Leon Black.”

“Men like Leon Black abuse their power with impunity and rely on prestigious institutions like the MoMA to offer them cover,” said Batista. “It’s the same playbook used by powerful abusers such as Epstein and Trump. But we have the power of the truth on our side. The facts are that MoMA has chosen to keep Leon Black on its board, despite allegations of sexual abuse and claims that he allegedly used NDAs to silence accusers.”

UltraViolet held Tuesday’s event in partnership with The Trump-Epstein Reading Room’s Bookmobile, which includes millions of Epstein files micro-printed in a single truck, to make the case for continued public pressure, transparency, and accountability and to demand the full release of the remaining files. The Bookmobile holds 440 volumes of files, around 800 pages each, which is approximately 2,500 pounds of paper, and is an initiative led by the Institute for Primary Facts and DEFIANCE.org.

The traveling Bookmobile exhibit features millions of printed Epstein Files, a timeline of Trump and Epstein’s relationship, and a tribute to survivors. Alongside the bookmobile, UltraViolet displayed a large 10×8-foot timeline of Leon Black and Jeffrey Epstein’s relationship, calling on MoMA to “break up with Epstein BFF Leon Black.”

“Leon Black might be used to using his money and power to get himself places and silence his critics,” said Nicole Regalado, Vice President of Campaigns at UltraViolet. “But our Tuesday event featured a literal truck full of the Epstein files, where Black is mentioned more than 8,500 times. We brought receipts. We invite MoMA’s leadership and board of trustees to take a look for themselves and explain to the public why they insist on holding on to him. We also welcome Black’s response and take it as a sign that he is ready to talk about how he stands accused of rape, and why he is worthy of remaining a MoMA trustee.”

See UltraViolet’s Epstein-Black timeline here.

Follow UltraViolet’s work on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn.

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UltraViolet Education Fund is a women-led gender justice 501c3 organization, with an online community of more than 1 million members nationwide. We combine organizing, technology, creative campaigning, and people power to win real-world changes for women and gender expansive people.