04 January 2024 , 10:46
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Newly released documents from the high-profile Jeffrey Epstein court case reveal a whole host of Hollywood names, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz.
Kevin Spacey and Cate Blanchett are also among mentions in previously secret documents that were unsealed on Wednesday. Bruce Willis is also mentioned in the case relating to the financier who killed himself in 2019, accused of sex trafficking. The people listed were those named as associates of Epstein and there is no suggestion those listed either knew about his crimes or participated in any criminal behaviour.
Their mention in no way implies any wrongdoing, just that the Hollywood stars were included in the conversation in some way. One witness claimed Epstein "would be on the phone a lot at that time" and one time he said "Oh, that was Leonardo, or that was Cate Blanchett or Bruce Willis". The witness said they'd never even met DiCaprio.
READ MORE: Epstein files names so far: Michael Jackson and David Copperfield to Clinton and Trump
One witness claimed Epstein "would be on the phone a lot at that time" (Getty Images)The documents consist of public material spanning two decades, including newspaper stories, documentaries, interviews and books about the Epstein scandal. They clearly demonstrate Epstein had high-profile friends, surrounding himself by Hollywood stars.
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Judge Loretta A. Preska unsealed the more than 170 names in a New York court today linked to the Jeffrey Epstein - Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking conspiracy. The people named include sex abuse victims, litigation witnesses, former Epstein workers and also those not involved but were mentioned in passing. The list has been released after Preska reviewed documents sought by the Miami Herald from a civil case, filed by one of Epstein’s victims, that eventually was settled.
New York judge Loretta Preska ordered the hundreds of files to be unsealed, with the 30-page summary of Ms Sjoberg’s evidence from the 2015 also set to show Maxwell's email account. Many of the records related to that lawsuit were publicly released in past years, but on Monday the judge made determinations about some portions of the records that were initially withheld on potential privacy grounds and what can be made public about certain people mentioned in the records.
Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Michael Jackson and Prince Andrew are also amongst the big names in the documents. The people named in the records include many of Epstein's accusers, members of his staff who told their stories to tabloid newspapers, people who served as witnesses at Maxwell’s trial, people who were mentioned in passing during depositions but aren't accused of anything salacious, and people who investigated Epstein, including prosecutors, a journalist, a police detective and others with no involvement or knowledge of Epstein's crimes.
Epstein was a millionaire known for associating with celebrities, politicians, billionaires and academic stars. He was initially arrested in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2005 after he was accused of paying a 14-year-old girl for sex. Dozens of underage girls described similar abuse, but prosecutors allowed the financier to plead guilty in 2008 to a charge involving a single victim. He served 13 months in a jail work-release program.
Some famous acquaintances abandoned Epstein after his conviction, including former presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, but many did not. Epstein continued to mingle with the rich and famous for another decade, often through philanthropic work.
The judge said a handful of names should remain blacked out in the documents because they would identify people who were sexually abused. Before the unsealing, the names were listed in court papers as variants of J Doe. Many of the names on the list are people who had been publicly identified as Epstein associates prior to this unsealing through years of coverage of the case.