Celebs who’ve been named in new Epstein files release - and what it actually means
The US Justice Department finally released its first batch of the Jeffrey Epstein files on Friday (19 December).
Hundreds of thousands of files on the disgraced paedophile financier were unveiled to the public on the day of the deadline after the passing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
It comes after the US Department of Justice had a legal obligation to make all files related to the Epstein investigation public by midnight on Friday.
Since the files dropped, which include photos, videos, and investigative documents, news organisations and people around the world have been trawling through the pages and pages of documents to look for relevant information and identify high-profile people.
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It also came after the US deputy attorney general Todd Blanche said that 'several hundred thousand' documents from the files would be released ahead of a legal deadline, but the need to protect the victims of Epstein meant thousands more would be released over the coming weeks.
However, it's important to note that being named in the files doesn't automatically equal wrongdoing. Here's everyone who's been pictured and named in the files so far:
Bill Clinton
Several images in the released files show former US President Bill Clinton. One image shows him swimming in a pool, while another appears to show him lying on his back with his hands behind his head in what appears to be a hot tub.
However, Clinton’s team has previously maintained he had cut ties with Epstein long before the financier's 2019 arrest and denies knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
According to the BBC, a Clinton spokesperson said the new photos were decades old.
Angel Ureña wrote on social media: "They can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn't about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be.
"There are two types of people here. The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after.
"We're in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that. Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats."
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor
The former Prince and Duke of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, appears to have been pictured reclining across the legs of five people with his head near a woman’s lap in one image.
In the undated picture, which is a photograph of a picture in a photo frame, convicted sex trafficker Maxwell appears to peer down and smile at the former duke, who is smiling with his eyes closed.
Despite being stripped of his titles earlier this year, Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and, according to the BBC, said he did not 'see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction'.
Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross
Among the celebrities pictured in the files were musicians Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.
In one of the newly released images, Epstein and Jackson are pictured together, with Jackson wearing a suit and Epstein seen in a zip-up hoodie.
A second image of Jackson shows him with former Clinton and Diana Ross, while a third is of Rolling Stones star Jagger posing for a photo with Clinton and a woman whose face is redacted.
According to the BBC, it is unknown when or where these pictures were taken, and no further context is provided in the files.
Chris Tucker
Actor Chris Tucker was also pictured in the files twice.
One image shows him posing with Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, on the airport tarmac, while a second shows him posing and seated next to Clinton at a dining table.
However, being listed in the files doesn't automatically imply wrongdoing.
Sarah Ferguson
Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, is seen in two images. In one photo, the former duchess is seen posing for a photograph with a woman whose face has been redacted on the street.
In another image, she's seen speaking with an unidentified woman while sitting on a sofa.
As we say, and to reiterate, being pictured doesn't automatically mean there's any suggestion of any wrongdoing.
Peter Mandelson
Peter Mandelson, who was recently sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US after details about his friendship with Epstein emerged, is pictured in a photo looking on as Epstein blows out candles on what appears to be a large birthday cake.
The 72-year-old is understood to have been close to Epstein since the early 2000s and reportedly chose to continue their friendship after the financier’s conviction for child sex offences in 2008.
In leaked emails at the time of his charges, which his spokesperson didn't dispute, Mandelson wrote to Epstein that he thought 'the world of you' and urged him to 'fight for early release' (via The Guardian).
As per The Guardian, in September, before he lost his ambassador job, the politician said: “I regret very, very deeply indeed carrying on that association with him for far longer than I should have done.”
Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump was mentioned in the files, as appearing in two images. As reported by the BBC, court documents outline that Epstein allegedly introduced a 14-year-old girl to Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
The publication reports that the interaction, which allegedly occurred in the 1990s, saw Epstein elbow Trump and 'playfully ask him,' in reference to the girl, "this is a good one, right?"
Trump reportedly smiled and nodded in agreement, according to a 2020 lawsuit filed against Epstein's estate and Ghislaine Maxwell.
It adds they 'both chuckled', and the girl felt uncomfortable, but 'at the time, was too young to understand why'.
The victim alleges she was groomed and abused by Epstein over many years in the court filing; however, she makes no accusations against Trump.
In response to the document, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the BBC that the Trump administration was 'the most transparent in history', adding: "By releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee's subpoena request, and President Trump recently calling for further investigations into Epstein's Democrat friends, the Trump Administration has done more for the victims than Democrats ever have."
Trump has also consistently denied any knowledge of Epstein's crimes.
Abigail Jackson WH spokeswoman said: “It’s not news that President Trump knew Epstein back in the day, because he kicked him out of his club for being a creep. Despite desperate wishcasting from the Democrats, the fact remains: Donald Trump never did anything wrong."
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey is pictured in a group setting with Maxwell and Clinton in Winston Churchill’s war rooms, as per The Guardian, which was the secret underground meeting place for the British cabinet during the Second World War.
The publication reports that the image is understood to have been taken in 2002, when Clinton travelled to the UK to address the Labour Party conference.
Like many of the celebrities pictured in the files, there is no information to suggest the 66-year-old was involved with, or aware of, Maxwell and Epstein’s crimes.
He has not yet made any comment on the documents.
Topics: Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew, News, UK News, World News, Celebrity
Madison Burgess