Introduction
Peggy Siegal (born July 17, 1947) is an American entertainment publicist who works to advertise new film releases to an audience of media providers and critics. She owns the Peggy Siegal Company, based in Manhattan, which was described as one of the top 12 media marketing firms in 2018. Siegal was involved in a controversy which damaged her business when it was made known she had promoted Jeffrey Epstein.
Marketing strategy
Highly connected with New York City's elite, Siegal organizes and hosts private events, including film screenings, to which she invites prominent guests who may help the film's reception. Her services are in high demand in the season before award nominations, in particular the Academy Awards. Her successes in the industry have been attributed, by her and others, to carefully selecting the guests she invites to these events. According to Siegal, she keeps a list of 30,000 contacts divided by nationality, including filmmakers, artists, writers, and finance professionals.
Jeffrey Epstein controversy
In July 2019, after the New York Times reported her business connections with Jeffrey Epstein, Siegal's clients, such as Netflix and FX, began cancelling their contracts with her. Siegel had organized an event at Epstein's mansion that included guests such as Prince Andrew, George Stephanopoulos, Katie Couric, and Chelsea Handler.