This week has seen the US Department of Justice release millions of documents related to the convicted paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. The mass of files include emails, text messages and images.
Epstein was an incredibly wealthy man who ran a sex trafficking ring and who appeared to be connected to many high-profile figures behind-the-scenes.
Most notably in the UK, the former Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, have been scrutinised for their friendship with Epstein, which continued after he served a jail sentence for procuring a minor for prostitution. Andrew has been accused of having sex with Virginia Giuffre, a woman who was trafficked by Epstein as a teenager – something he has strenuously denied.
Appearing in the Epstein files does not automatically mean a person is guilty of any crime, or that they were aware of Epstein's heinous acts of abusing women, many of whom say they were underage when duped into 'working' for him.
Now, it has emerged that actor Leonardo DiCaprio is mentioned in the Epstein files on at least three occasions.
In one email, the former US ambassador, Peter Mandelson – who was fired from his post after further details of his relationship with Epstein emerged, which appear to include accepting money and sharing highly confidential government information – messages Epstein about DiCaprio.
Everyone's clicking on...
In an email dated 12 June 2009, a message attributed to Mandelson reads: "can you think of anyone in india china, japan,, etc, that might want the endorsement of Leonardo DiCaprio,, russia etc... cars etc,, he is looking for non-u.s. products to endorse to make some momey."
Later messages from August 2016, exchanged between Epstein and an account with the name Deepak Chopra (the name of an Indian-American author whose work often focusses on spirituality) centre on arranging a dinner.
Epstein asks, "when are you in new york, do you think I=o dicaprio would want to have dinner with woody". The Chopra-associated account replies, "I can certainly ask him if he is around".
Other emails and files feature director, Woody Allen.
DiCaprio also features in the files via a Daily Mail article, which reads: During the break, [REDACTED] got an idea of the kind of circles Epstein usually moved in. "I would be massaging him and he'd be on the phone and then hang up and say, 'oh, that was Cate Blanchett,' or 'I was on a plane with Clinton.' Clinton is definitely a friend of his. "He'd say, 'I was hanging out with Leo diCaprio and Bruce Willis'."
There is no confirmation that DiCaprio ever met Epstein or was aware of his crimes.
We have contacted DiCaprio's team for comment.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
