Lawyer and law professor Alan Dershowitz, 86, threatened to sue a debate opponent who called him an “old pervert” over his ties to the notorious sex trafficker and financier Jeffrey Epstein.
During a combative appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Tuesday, YouTuber and author Mohammed Hijab interrupted a debate about Israel’s war on Gaza to ask the show’s host, British broadcaster Piers Morgan, if Dershowitz, formerly Epstein’s lawyer, had “leverage” on him.
“There’s no leverage on me, no,” a confused Morgan replied. Hijab noted Morgan “has got a picture with [Ghislaine] Maxwell,” referring to a photo of him taken with the late sex criminal’s socialite co-conspirator at a book launch in 2013.
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He then asked the host if he had ever traveled to Little Saint James, the sex criminal’s infamous private island where it is alleged underaged women were trafficked and exploited by powerful men.
“No, I’ve never been to the island, I’ve never met Jeffrey Epstein,” the still-bewildered Morgan said. “I never spent more than five minutes with Ghislaine Maxwell.”
Hijab then asked Morgan if he would condemn Dershowitz for traveling to Epstein’s island. Morgan told him to ask Dershowitz, who represented Epstein during his first criminal trial in Florida where he secured a plea deal. Dershowitz remained silent, participating on a remote broadcast feed, listening to the two quibble with each other.
Then things went wild. “He had a massage, he said he didn’t take his shorts off,” jabbed Hijab, gesturing with a glass of water in hand. He was likely referring to Dershowitz’s claim that he got a massage at Epstein’s home from an adult woman once, but that “I kept my underwear on during the massage. I don’t like massages particularly.”
Dershowitz has long denied that any of his relations with Epstein were inappropriate. Epstein’s lawyer once identified him as the late criminal’s “close friend.”
Morgan accused Hijab of making “ad hominem attacks” and “trivializing” the war in the Middle East. “You’re defending him, you’re defending a monster, a pervert, an old pervert,” Hijab replied. “He knew Epstein.”
“Why are you doing this, Mohammed?” an increasingly frustrated Morgan pleaded. “‘Cause it’s pointless. You might get a few clicks on X, so what?”
At this point, Dershowitz finally interjected. “Let me be very clear, it’s not pointless,” he said. “He just called me a pervert. He will be sued now for defamation and we will be able to resolve this in a court of law. I guarantee you that he will be sued for calling me a pervert. The woman who falsely accused me has now withdrawn her accusation and acknowledged that she may have confused me with somebody else.”
Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre dropped allegations of sexual abuse she made against Dershowitz in 2022, saying “I now recognize I may have made a mistake.”
Hijab was only emboldened by the intimidation: “You can’t threaten me. Sure, I’m ready for it. I’m ready for the lawsuit.”
“In my understanding you are a pervert because you are acquainted with Jeffrey Epstein,” he added. “I consider you to be a pervert because of your connection with Jeffrey Epstein.”
