Donna Air had 'short and sweet' meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, new documents suggest

Donna Air had "short and sweet" meetings with Jeffrey Epstein following his release from prison.

The former Byker Grove actress - who has Freya, 22, with former partner Damian Aspinall - exchanged several emails with the disgraced financier after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution for a minor and the pair appear to have met up on more than one occasion.

Documents released by the US Department of Justice as part of the Epstein Files showed the term 'Donna Air' was mentioned 224 times among the three million pages, with their interactions starting when Italian hedge fund manager Tancredi Marchiolo told Epstein he was heading to New York with his "good friend" Donna.

He asked the late paedophile: "Let me know if you want to meet her?"

Three other women were mentioned, but their names have been redacted, and Epstein asked his friend which one was the Split actress.

Marchiolo replied: "Donna is on the internet. She's more institutional than these 3. Know her very well.'"

Epstein confirmed: "Yes to Donna."

His friend later confirmed he had passed Epstein's number on to Donna - who dated the Princess of Wales' brother, James Middleton, on and off between 2013 and 2018 - and that she would call him.

He added: "Feel free to call her before then if you want, she is expecting you."

According to The Sun newspaper, Donna and Epstein appeared to have planned to meet in New York and Paris, with Epstein asking his assistant for reminders to contact the actress and a diary entry made for 21 July, 2011, though there is no indication the pair met on that day.

But they appear to have met on two occasions on 18 April, 2012, with Epstein sending a message to Donna in the early hours of the morning which read: "Sorry, time was too short."

She appeared to reply: "No worries. Good to meet, have a great week!"

That same day, Epstein told Donna he was “unexpectedly” available, and asked: “Would you like to come for a tea?”

She replied: “I could swing by for a cuppa say 7.45/ 8 should that work (on my way to dinner) which of course you would be very welcome to join.”

Epstein later emailed to say their meeting was "much much too short".

Donna replied: “Short but sweet, take care [and] good luck with it all.”

Later that month, Epstein invited Donna to a party in Paris at the "US ambassador's house" but it is unclear whether she attended.

After receiving a message from him on 30 June, she wrote: "Thought of u Just this morning!

The final set of messages between the pair seems to be on August 18, 2012, when the 46-year-old actress revealed she was heading off to Ibiza.

A spokesperson for the actress has yet to comment, but sources told The Sun that Donna never agreed to meet Epstein and that he would arrive at places she was attending and get in contact with her after the fact.