Overview
- Shani announced on February 17 that she ended the deal via Instagram, calling withdrawal a feminist refusal to let her work be used as cover for violence and misogyny.
- Phaidon has been owned by Leon Black since 2012, and the publisher did not respond to requests for comment about Shani’s decision.
- New DOJ documents include graphic allegations from a Jane Doe who says Black abused her as a minor, along with diary entries and lawyer summaries; her lawsuit remains pending.
- The activist collective Guerrilla Girls renewed calls for MoMA to remove Black from its board; he stepped down as chair in 2021 but remains a trustee.
- Black’s ties to Epstein include $158 million in payments for ‘advice’ and a $62.5 million settlement with the U.S. Virgin Islands; he denies the allegations, and his attorney says they are false while seeking sanctions against accusers, as reporters also highlight Epstein’s guidance to Black and communications about high-value art purchases.