The latest batch of court documents related to Jeffrey Epstein has unveiled his penchant for boasting about interactions with Hollywood elites, including a specific mention of Oscar-winning actor Cate Blanchett. In a deposition released on Thursday, Johanna Sjoberg, who accuses Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell of abuse in the late 1990s, recounted an instance where Epstein name-dropped Blanchett while receiving a massage.
During a conversation with lawyer Laura A. Menninger in the lawsuit Virginia Giuffre filed against Maxwell, Sjoberg was asked about her encounters with Blanchett. Sjoberg clarified that she never met Blanchett but recalled Epstein mentioning her during a phone call while receiving a massage. “Oh, that was … Cate Blanchett … That kind of thing,” Epstein allegedly said, according to Sjoberg’s testimony.
The deposition, taken in 2016, briefly mentions Blanchett’s name, and it’s important to note that there is no implication of wrongdoing on Blanchett’s part. Similarly, there is no suggestion that any of the other 170 individuals identified in the documents have engaged in any criminal activities or are accused of participating in Epstein’s crimes.
The nearly 1000 pages of documents released by the courts also do not feature Blanchett’s name elsewhere. Blanchett’s Australian management agency, RGM Artists, has been contacted for comment.
Epstein, known for his connections across finance, politics, and entertainment, had interactions with several high-profile individuals, including former US presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, both mentioned among the 170 individuals named in the documents.
The documents are part of the ongoing legal proceedings in the Giuffre case, which has brought to light the disturbing details of Epstein and Maxwell’s abuse of underage girls. Epstein, who pleaded guilty to soliciting s*x from an underage girl in 2008 in Florida, faced s*x tr*fficking charges in 2019 but committed s*icide in a New York prison while awaiting trial. Maxwell was convicted of s*x tr*fficking in 2021 and is serving a 20-year sentence.
Giuffre’s lawsuit against Maxwell, filed in 2015, alleges abuse by Epstein and Maxwell and claims she was pressured into having s*x with Epstein’s associates, including Prince Andrew. The lawsuit against Prince Andrew was settled in 2022, and he has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crime. Giuffre, now a mother of three, resides in Australia with her Australian husband.
