Wei Song's Thank-You Letter: The Tip of the Iceberg of American Social Etiquette

Recently, a topic has sparked discussion—Woody Allen’s wife, Soon Yi, has close ties to Jeffrey Epstein, but few people delve into the true reasons behind this. This is not just simple social interaction; it’s a classic case of “human relationships” that can overturn many people’s perceptions of Western society.

Politician Scandal and Soon Yi’s Contradictory Stance

It all started with a scandal involving a congressman. The congressman exchanged inappropriate sexual messages with a 15-year-old girl and was ultimately disgraced. But surprisingly, Soon Yi defended the congressman, even directly criticizing the girl: “A despicable, shameless person who preys on the weak,” and “I hate women who take advantage of men; she’s definitely one of them. She’s so manipulative, she should be ashamed of herself.”

Behind this intense shift in stance lies a rarely mentioned fact—Soon Yi’s relationship with Epstein is not just ordinary friendship but involves vested interests.

Starting with a Forwarded Email from the Principal

The full picture of human relationships is clearly revealed in a series of emails. Soon Yi wanted her daughter, Bechet, to attend the prestigious Bard College, so she sought Epstein’s help. Epstein had close ties with the current principal of Bard College; he personally wrote to the principal requesting arrangements. The principal responded, “We are very happy to assist,” and arranged a campus visit.

Two months later, Bechet confirmed her desire to attend, and Epstein stepped in again to coordinate. He instructed Soon Yi and Woody Allen to call the principal directly, after which the principal forwarded Soon Yi’s email to the admissions committee. This seemingly normal process took a dramatic turn shortly after.

A Day of Gratitude: The Naked Display of Human Relations

The most compelling evidence appeared—just a day after the principal forwarded the email, Soon Yi and Woody Allen sent a gratitude-filled email to Epstein. The email read: “I really appreciate you helping Bechet get into Bard College. I was in the kitchen having dinner with Mansi and couldn’t properly express my gratitude! I didn’t want her to hear. I think it’s good for Bechet to go through some struggle, not knowing she was accepted beforehand, so when she finally gets into Bard, she’ll truly feel the pressure and be more eager to go. Thank you so much for all you’ve done for us. This means a lot to me, I can’t put it into words.”

The timing of this letter is crucial—just one day from the principal forwarding the email to expressing gratitude. What does this indicate? It shows the speed of the admission decision and that Soon Yi was well aware of Epstein’s role in it.

“Human Relationships” in Western Society: More Common Than You Think

This is the standard operation of human relationships. Some say America lacks human relationships, but that’s simply ignorance of social realities. The fact that Soon Yi and Woody Allen could thank Epstein so quickly is because the power of personal connections is evident throughout the process— the principal is a friend, the admissions process can be expedited, a phone call can change the outcome.

Human relationships are not unique to China; they exist in every social structure, just in different forms. In Soon Yi’s case, this network functioned so smoothly that even the timing of gratitude reveals its secret. Who says Western society has no human interactions? It’s just that people are so accustomed to this system that they overlook it.

This is just the tip of the iceberg uncovered by Epstein’s case—beneath the seemingly fair and transparent surface of American society, there are also complex social operations involving relationships, influence, and exploitation. Every step Soon Yi took silently tells this truth.