Before we get too carried away, it should be clarified what we mean when we start talking about people named in the infamous “Epstein Files.”
Having one’s name in these files does not immediately draw controversy or direct the finger of blame at anyone. The files mention everyone from Jeffrey Epstein’s employees to witnesses in court cases he was involved in, and even people with only the slightest of associations with the late, greatly dishonored businessman. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Who Was Jeffrey Epstein?
First things first–who exactly was Jeffrey Epstein? He was an American banker and financier. He taught at university level without a college degree. He was arrested for sex trafficking minors in New York and Florida in 2019.
Epstein had been under fire for years, having been investigated in 2005, partially incarcerated for 13 months in 2008, and then finally investigated and arrested once more in 2019. He was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019, in an apparent death by hanging.
What Are the Epstein Files?
The “Epstein files” refer to thousands of Epstein and Epstein-related court documents that have been, and will continue to be, unsealed and made readily available to the public.
These documents include the details of lawsuits filed against Epstein and some of his associates and contain everything from transcripts of interviews with potential witnesses to general legalese. They do also contain indicators of wrongdoing, though many of those named are very loosely associated with the deceased financier.
A New Batch of Epstein Files
On January 4th, a new batch of Epstein files went public. The media went into a frenzy over the names on the list, as did the public.
People are itching to know who’s who, whether or not they had any real association with Epstein’s debauched behavior or not. Named in this new batch are luminaries the likes of Stephen Hawking, Michael Jackson, David Copperfield, and Bill Clinton.
What Are the New Files Primarily About?
Although many famous names appear in the newest batch of Epstein Files, they primarily center around one person: Virginia Giuffre.
Virginia Giuffre was a young woman when she filed a lawsuit against Epstein in 2015. She claimed that she was coerced out of a position as a spa attendent at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-lago club to become a masseuse for Epstein. She says she was abused at Epstein’s homes in New York, Florida, New Mexico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Giuffre is just one out of dozens of women who have sued the financier on similar grounds.
What the Epstein Files Say About Prince Andrew
One of the most high-profile and most prominent names in the newest Epstein files is Prince Andrew, Duke of York.
Prince Andrew’s name is mentioned 67 times in the new documents. Giuffre originally accused the Duke of York of sexual assault in 2010 at the age of 17. Although has has vehemtly denied the claims, he has subsequently removed himself from the public eye and paid millions in a civil sexual assault case with Giuffre.
Stephen Hawking and the Epstein Files
The name “Stephen Hawking” is an incredibly unexpected twist in this debauchle. He was only named once in the recent file release. In 2006, Hawking and 20 other highly regarded physicists were attending a conference on gravity in the Caribbean. Apparently, the funding for the conference was provided by Epstein.
Some photos of Epstein arose that showed him attending a barbeque on Little St. James, Epstein’s private Caribbean island. Apparently, Epstein wanted to absolutely deny the physicist’s involvement in any wrongdoings, as evidenced by his statements in the files. Since Hawking died in 2018, he passed before the allegations came to light. He therefore has nothing to say about what happened.
Michael Jackson Mentioned in Epstein’s Files
One of the key witnesses for Giuffre in the files is a woman named Johanna Sjoberg. She was employed by Epstein for 5 years and claims to have been fondled by the Duke of York. She also states that she once met the late pop star Michael Jackson at Epstein’s home in Palm Beach.
Despite the notoriety surrounding Jackson in regards to foul play with minors, it appears that Sjoberg only met him once at the Florida home and nothing questionable happened between them. Jackson is only mentioned twice in the files and died in 2009 prior to emergence of allegations against Epstein. His name remains clean.
Dinner With David Copperfield
The famous American magician David Copperfield was mentioned a total of 6 times in the files. These mentions mostly concern a dinner that Sjoberg attended at one of Epstein’s homes where Copperfield was present.
Nothing much seems to have taken place between the magician and Sjoberg, though she did note that Copperfield asked her if she knew that “girls were getting paid to find other girls.” Copperfield has not yet responded to any requests for comments about this.
Claims Against Bill Clinton
The former U.S. president Bill Clinton’s name has come up 73 times in the new batch of Epstein documents. This isn’t exactly surprising, seeing as Clinton was a high-profile acquaintance of Epstein’s for a few years.
What’s more is Epstein’s long-time pilot claimed in a 2021 trial that Clinton was among the guests he flew to Epstein’s properties around the world. That said, Clinton allegedly cut ties with the paedophilic financier in 2008, which predates Epstein’s first arrest and conviction. Part of the reason for his high number of mentions in the files is due to transcriptions from interviews of Giuffre where she was questioned about inaccurate media coverage. Clinton says that his dealings with Epstein were very limited, that he cut off contact with him in 2005, and that he has never been to Little St. James Island or Epstein’s homes in New Mexico and Florida.
More to Be Revealed in the Epstein Files
950 pages of Epstein’s files have been released to the public thus far, but more is to come.
Other notable mentions in the now-available files include Naomi Campbell, Kevin Spacey, and George Lucas, though they are mentioned only once or twice and Sjoberg states that she does not remember meeting any of them. As more and files continue to come out, the public will be clamoring for more names and their association to Epstein. We’ll have to wait and see what comes.
