Peggy Siegal (born July 17, 1947) is an American entertainment publicist who advertises new film releases to an audience of media providers and critics.[2] She owns the Peggy Siegal Company, based in Manhattan, which was described as one of the top 12 media marketing firms in 2018.[3] Siegal was involved in a controversy which damaged her business when it was made known she had promoted Jeffrey Epstein.[4]
Peggy Siegal | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 17, 1947[1] |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | media publicist |
Marketing strategy
editConnected with New York City's elite, Siegal organizes and hosts private events, including film screenings, to which she invites prominent guests to help the film's reception. Her services are in highest demand in the season before award nominations, in particular the Academy Awards.[5] Her reputation in the industry has been attributed, by her and others, to carefully selecting the guests she invites to these events.[2] According to Siegal, she keeps a list of 30,000 contacts divided by nationality, including filmmakers, artists, writers, and finance professionals.[5]
Jeffrey Epstein controversy
editIn July 2019, after the New York Times reported Siegal's business connection with Jeffrey Epstein,[6][7] some of Siegal's clients, such as Netflix and FX, canceled their contracts as a result of the Epstein scandal and larger Me Too movement.[4] In 2011 Siegel organized an event at Epstein's mansion whose guests included notable people such as Prince Andrew, George Stephanopoulos, Katie Couric, and Chelsea Handler.[8]
References
edit- ^ Baume, Terry (November 14, 2017). "Peggy Siegal Beauty Routine 2017 | The Strategist | New York Magazine". Nymag.com. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^ a b "A Close Look at Peggy Siegal and Her Movie Empire". DuJour. December 15, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^ "The Most Powerful Entertainment and Media PR Firms of 2018". Observer. December 14, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^ a b Czarnecki, Sean. "Reports: Hollywood studios walk away from Epstein-connected publicist". www.prweek.com.
- ^ a b Williams, Alex (February 13, 2016). "Peggy Siegal, Best Hostess in a Supporting Role". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^ Weiss, Philip (December 8, 2007). "The Fantasist". NYMag.com.
- ^ Kantor, Jodi; McIntire, Mike; Friedman, Vanessa (July 13, 2019). "Jeffrey Epstein Was a Sex Offender. The Powerful Welcomed Him Anyway". The New York Times.
- ^ Widdicombe, Ben (November 6, 2019). "Tarnished by Epstein Scandal, Can Power Publicist Peggy Siegal Make a Hollywood Comeback?". Town & Country. Retrieved January 6, 2020.