The New York Review of Books, which published Edward Jay Epstein’s skeptical investigation into the rape claims against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has issued a correction for one of the most puzzling parts of the article. Epstein described security footage from the Sofitel Hotel that showed two men on staff engaging in “what looks like an extraordinary dance of celebration that lasts for three minutes” after speaking with the accuser, Nafissatou Diallo, and a hotel higher-up. A three-minute dance did sound curiously like a Shakira video. In a response, the Sofitel’s French parent company Accor said, “the incident in question lasted only 8 seconds and both employees categorically deny this exchange had anything to do with Mr. Strauss-Kahn,” saying the celebration was probably related to sports. A new clarification from the Review of Books editors notes: “Security camera recordings have established that the episode, as described, lasted approximately thirteen seconds, not the three minutes mentioned in the article.” The discrepancy between the publication’s version and the hotel’s is still five-seconds — that’s more than enough time for a spin and a full split, which would have really driven the celebration home.
