Unexpected Celebs Named In The Bombshell Epstein Documents
The public has long wanted to see a list of Jeffrey Epstein's confirmed connections. With speculation rampant as to who may be counted among the disgraced businessman's clientele, many anticipated some of the biggest names in the world to be implicated. Though a literal list of clients has not materialized for public consumption, a collection of legal documents related to Epstein have now been unsealed, and there are a few surprising names mentioned in their pages.
For years, Epstein was known as a well-respected businessman, until a long history of misdeeds caught up to him. In 2019, he was arrested on charges of sex trafficking for allegedly having sex with young girls, some as young as 14, per Time Magazine. While the plan may have been to send Epstein to prison for years, he died in jail a month after the charges were brought forth in what was officially declared a suicide, per ABC News. Despite his death, the case has remained in the spotlight, with Epstein's business partner (and alleged girlfriend) Ghislaine Maxwell eventually found guilty of assisting with the trafficking of young girls, per CNN.
Now, Epstein's case is once again at the center of international attention thanks to a lawsuit brought forward by victim Virginia Giuffre. Recently released documents tied to the 2015 suit against Maxwell contained mention of some of Epstein's connections, including business associates, accusers, friends, and others, per CBS News. It's important to note that names appearing in these documents does not indicate any connection with Epstein's sex trafficking or imply guilt of any other crimes. Nevertheless, the variety of people who had ties with Epstein will likely come as a shock to many.
A-list entertainers can be found in the Epstein documents
It was expected that any list of Jeffrey Epstein's contacts and clients would include plenty of famous names, but some mentioned in connection with his business have come as a shock to many. Particularly eye-catching: those who were and still are big names in the entertainment industry, one of which was Michael Jackson. In the documents, it was unveiled that one of Epstein's alleged victims, Johanna Sjoberg, once met some of his famous friends while at his home, including the king of pop, per Billboard.
In a deposition as part of Virginia Giuffre's defamation suit, Sjoberg shared, "I met Michael Jackson. At his house in Palm Beach. At Jeffrey's house in Palm Beach." Aside from the brief mention, it's believed that Jackson hadn't been involved in any of Epstein's wrongdoing after Sjoberg denied that she ever gave a massage to the late musician. However, the "Billie Jean" singer wasn't the only entertainer who pops up in the documents.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, and Bruce Willis were all mentioned in Sjoberg's deposition, per The New York Post. Sjoberg was asked whether she met these actors during her time with Epstein. She denied having met them, sharing, "I did not meet them, no. When I spoke about them, it was when I was massaging him ... he 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. That kind of thing." None of this implies any wrongdoing on the part of Epstein's acquaintances — it just further illustrates how well-connected he really was.
The documents include a shocking claim about a former president
Many had an inkling that former president Donald Trump would feature significantly in the Jeffrey Epstein documents. Trump has been vocal about having a friendship with Epstein in the past (via Newsweek), but nothing in the newly released documents implicates him in any crimes, per BBC News. Johanna Sjoberg did mention Trump several times in her deposition, even reflecting on a time when Epstein called up Trump so they could go to one of his casinos. She stated, "Jeffrey said, 'Great, we'll call up Trump and we'll go to' — I don't recall the name of the casino, but — 'we'll go to the casino.'" While seeing Trump's name wasn't surprising to many, the prominence of another former president in Sjoberg's deposition may shock some.
According to The New York Post, former President Bill Clinton was not mentioned once, not twice, but 73 times in the documents. According to BBC News, Clinton was a frequent flyer on Epstein's private jet, and Sjoberg claims that the businessman once told her, "[Clinton] likes them young, referring to girls." Although Clinton's ties to Epstein — which are known to be related to the charitable efforts of the Clinton Foundation — may appear particularly questionable, Sjoberg's deposition does not implicate the former president in any illegal activity.