"Biggest cancel campaign": Judge's order to release names of Jeffrey Epstein's associates leaves netizens wondering about their identities

By Nirali Sheth

Modified Dec 20, 2023 05:47 GMT

A US federal court rules to release names in the legal proceedings (Image via Y0uTube/@BBC)

A federal judge on Monday, December 18, 2023, ruled that court documents naming Jeffrey Epstein's victims and associates should be unsealed and released to the public. The decision comes as part of a settled lawsuit against the disgraced financier's girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Trigger Warning: The following article contains references to s*x trafficking ring. Reader discretion is advised.

For the uninitiated, Jeffrey Epstein was a s*x offender who started an elite circle that procured women and children, some as young as 14 years, who were abused by him and his associates. While Epstein died by suicide in 2019 awaiting a trial, Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence after she was found guilty of facilitating and procuring said victims, especially minors.

Expand Tweet

U.S. Federal Judge Loretta Preska ordered the names to be made public on January 1, 2024, and anyone wanting to object to the move has the next 14 days to appeal. The list reportedly includes about 150 names, including one public figure. According to ABCNews, Preska explained that since some of the people on the list have already given interviews, their names should not stay private.

The list is expected to include a number of Jeffery Epstein's associates, victims, and anyone who was included in the legal documents, including emails. It remains unclear whether their roles in the trial would be identified. Additionally, the names of minors will be redacted for their safety.

The possibility that a list of Jeffrey Epstein's associates would be made public left netizens guessing on what the next few weeks would entail:

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @neolithicobject)

"You mean alllll public figures": Internet users weigh in on possible identities of Jeffrey Epstein's associates

As news of Judge Preska's ruling about making public the names of people associated with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's trial spread, netizens were quick to speculate on their identities. While many named former and current presidents and celebrities, others wondered if all the rich and important people linked to crime were already "eliminated."

Here are some comments seen under @Pop Crave's X post:

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @_ogrive)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @britneysbtch)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @heath_513)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @JuriChacon)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @AnbuVidz)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @JakTunes69)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @outherspacetaste)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @beastboywonder)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @damsolad)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @midnightpIuto)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @cosmicdawg9)

A comment reacting to the news (Image via X/ @)

During Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's respective trials, several people associated with the two were widely spoken about in the media. These include former Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, Britain's Prince Andrew, and attorney Alan Dershowitz.

About the author

Nirali has been a popular culture writer at Sportskeeda for the past 1.5 years, covering celebrity/influencer trends and profile/histories, political news, crime reports, and lifestyle. She completed her Bachelor's in Architecture from University of Mumbai and Masters in Heritage Conservation from University of Southern California. Professionally, Nirali has a strong 7.5-year experience working as an architect, an Assistant Archivist and a Digital Archivist across three companies.

Nirali’s educational qualifications and unique career trajectory put great emphasis on research and writing, which along with her personal interest in popular culture, led her to the current role at Sportskeeda. Her specialties are researching histories, crime stories, and developing general knowledge pieces.

The most crucial step in Nirali’s reporting is rigorous fact-checking, and she relies on information from primary sources only for her news. In the absence of a primary source, Nirali double, and even triple-checks information from multiple sources before presenting them to her readers. Strictly anti-AI, she believes in giving credits wherever necessary.

Nirali’s favorite celebrities are Mark Ruffalo and Dolly Parton, and she admires them for their support of humanity and advocacy for what is right. An avid reader, Nirali can be found nose-deep in a new book when she is away from her keyboard. Nirali also loves to illustrate in her free time.

Know More

Edited by Upasya Bhowal