Once again, the name “Jeffrey Epstein” has surfaced at the center of a Washington, D.C., scandal. Only this time it’s a very different Jeffrey Epstein — and the controversy in question involves a bunch of legacy musical acts who never owned any private islands.
You’ve no doubt heard something about Trump’s now-iffy plans for a Freedom 250 concert to be held on the National Mall over the Fourth of July holiday. How a slew of musicians who had signed up to perform — Martina McBride, Morris Day and The Time, Bret Michaels of Poison and Young MC — have since backed out after realizing that the event was being organized as a partisan gathering rather than a non-ideological celebration of the nation’s semi-quincentennial. And how, in the latest wrinkle, Trump has announced that he may call the whole thing off, or else turn it into a proper MAGA rally with himself — “the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime” — taking center stage.
Well, it turns out that many of the music acts involved in the kerfuffle are reportedly represented by a talent booker at New York-based agency Universal Attractions. And that booker’s name, through no fault of his own, happens to be Jeffrey Epstein. Even more remarkable, this booking agent isn’t the only Jeffrey Epstein working in entertainment. Rambling found another, a former magazine editor turned publicist at talent agency UTA.
The Epstein at Universal Attractions hasn’t responded to Rambling’s request to connect, and the Epstein at UTA isn’t talking either, but was kind enough to point Rambling to his social media feed, where he periodically posts good-natured reminders to the world that he is not who people think. “Love all the hilarious comments about my ‘island’ and lists,” he wrote on Instagram in 2024, during an early Epstein file dump. “I’m still not that Jeffrey Epstein.” In that same post, he helpfully answered the one question Rambling most wanted to ask. “I feel like the ‘why don’t you change your name’ ship has sailed,” he wrote. “But thanks.”
If he ever reconsiders, Bernie Madoff has a nice ring to it.
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Also in Rambling Reporter:
From pro-wrestler Danhasen to LiB to Azealia Banks, a slew of stars are casting spells; Director Graydon Carter found himself getting photographed aboard a boat in the Mediterranean — he’s still trying to figure out exactly why.
This story appeared in the June 3 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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