Court records bring new, unwanted attention to rich and famous in Jeffrey Epstein's social circle
ABC News
Before and after he was exposed as a pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein loved to mingle with the world’s elite
NEW YORK -- Before and after he was exposed as a pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein loved to mingle with the world's elite.
The millionaire invited politicians and academics to his private island and luxury homes. He offered celebrities rides on his private jet. He and his girlfriend, the socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, hung out with princes and supermodels. They made donations that brought them into contact with leading philanthropists.
After Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in 2019, many of those people have apologized for associating with him and said they were unaware he was habitually abusing underage girls.
Newly released court records have revved up interest again in the big names who associated with Epstein and Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison term for helping recruit and abuse Epstein’s victims.
Many of those people have never been accused of any wrongdoing, but have nonetheless become the subject of a whirlwind of conspiracy theories. Others have, for years, been denying claims made by one of Epstein's victims — Virginia Giuffre — that they participated in illicit sex.
