Epstein files: which royals, politicians, musicians and actors are in the photos? | Jeffrey Epstein
A large number of documents related to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been published by the US Department of Justice. The cache of thousands of files contains photographs of the late financier and his accomplice, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as some of the most important figures of the last century.
The footage helps illustrate the relationships Epstein and Maxwell had with royalty, politicians, musicians and actors.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for child sex trafficking, and Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial. He was convicted of sexual offenses against children in a separate case in 2008.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
The cache of files released on Friday includes several photographs of Mounbatten-Windsor that show how Epstein and Maxwell gained access to British society.
In an undated photo, the former prince, now 65, is seen lying across the legs of five women as Maxwell smiles at him. Sky News said on Saturday that the photo was believed to have been taken at Sandringham, the royal estate in Norfolk, where King Charles and his family will spend Christmas this week. The publicist said the image was cross-referenced with other photos taken there.
Another photograph, thought to have been taken in June 2000, shows the trio in the royal box at Ascot. A third photo shows them hunting at Balmoral, the royal family’s home in Scotland, but it is not clear when the photo was taken.
Bill Clinton
Clinton, who was president of the United States from 1993 to 2001, appears in many of the photographs released on Friday. The 79-year-old man is seen relaxing in the jacuzzi and swimming in the pool. Other photos show Maxwell posing with musicians Michael Jackson, Diana Ross and Mick Jagger, and actor Kevin Spacey. Like many of the images in the documents’ cache, they are undated.
Clinton socialized with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s, before the financier’s first arrest. Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing by any survivors of Epstein’s abuse and has always denied knowledge of the late financier’s child sex crimes.
Clinton’s spokesman, Angel Ureña, said the photos were more than 20 years old and that the politician ended her friendship with Epstein after his crimes were revealed.
“There are two types of people here,” Ureña said. “The first group knew nothing and blocked Epstein’s way before his crimes were discovered. The second group then continued their relationship with him. We are in the first group. No amount of stalling by the people in the second group will change that.”
Peter Mandelson
Mandelson, who was recently sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US after details emerged about his friendship with Epstein, was photographed watching Epstein blow out the candles on a large birthday cake. Although the image is part of a cache of documents disclosed on Friday, it had been published before.
The 72-year-old Labor peer is understood to have been close to Epstein since the early 2000s and described him as “my best mate” in his 50th birthday message. Epstein was introduced to then British prime minister Tony Blair in May 2002 at a meeting apparently facilitated by former MP and cabinet minister Mandelson.
Mandelson chose to maintain his friendship with Epstein after the financier was convicted of child sex crimes in 2008, encouraging him to “fight for early release.” In September, shortly before he was dismissed as ambassador, Mandelson said: “I really, really deeply regret having maintained this relationship with him for much longer than I should have.”
michael jackson
The singer is seen posing with Epstein next to a large painting in a photo published Friday. He appears next to Clinton and fellow singer Diana Ross in a separate photo released as part of the cache of documents.
The photos of Jackson were not dated by the justice department, and it is not clear where they were taken. There is no suggestion that Jackson was aware of or involved in any of Epstein’s crimes.
Mick Jagger
The 82-year-old lead singer of the Rolling Stones was photographed with Clinton and an unidentified woman. The woman’s face has been corrected, but the trio appear to be in cocktail attire. The US justice department did not disclose where and when the photo was taken.
Jagger has yet to respond to the release, but there is no suggestion that he was involved in or knew about Epstein’s crimes.
Kevin Spacey
The actor is seen with a group of Maxwell and Clinton in the war rooms of Winston Churchill, the secret underground meeting place of the British cabinet during the second world war. This photo was apparently taken in 2002, when Clinton went to England to speak at the Labor Party conference.
There is no indication that Spacey, 66, was involved in or aware of Maxwell and Epstein’s crimes, and has yet to comment on the documents.
Separately, Spacey was acquitted of nine sex crimes in a 2023 criminal trial.
