Hollywood is the premier entertainment destination in the world. As such, multiple people and businesses are eager to invest in it. But sometimes such connections turn out to be fraudulent and that plunges an entire plethora of actors and more into troubled times. Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio has found himself in such problems now.
The 48-year-old actor was called to testify in a corruption case featuring Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho and 90s hip-hop star Pras Michel, who was a part of the 90s group The Fugees. In court, the Hollywood star detailed his version of the events and admitted that he had courted the businessman to finance his film The Wolf of Wall Street.
Leonardo DiCaprio Testifies In Embezzlement And Corruption Case
Leonardo DiCaprio was summoned by the prosecution to testify in a trial about trying to influence US politics, bribery, and international money laundering involving a major rap artist, Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, and a Malaysian businessman, Low Taek Jho. The latter is alleged to have looted the 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB, which is Malaysia´s wealth fund, to sponsor his extravagant lifestyle.
DiCaprio revealed that Taek Jho had thrown lavish parties on boats, in nightclubs, and more with several celebrities in attendance. He stated that he had met the businessman in 2010 at a Las Vegas party, although he said that the details of the evening are fuzzy to him. As per DiCaprio, “I understood him to be a huge businessman with many different connections in Abu Dhabi and Malaysia.”
The actor also stated that he knew Michel when he met him backstage in the 1990s at a Fugees concert. The Titanic star also admitted that he was regularly invited to parties by Low. One such incident revealed by DiCaprio was about a New Year’s Eve celebration where everyone flew from Australia to the US to celebrate New Year’s twice in two different time zones.
Taek Jho was also one of the main financiers of the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street. Along with this, the businessman had funneled money into DiCaprio’s environmental foundation. The Hollywood megastar stated that:
“I was given a green light by my team as well as the studios to accept Mr. Low´s funding. That means that the background check was fine and that he was seen as a legitimate businessperson.”
However, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star said that he had severed his relationship with Taek Jho after accusations surfaced of his alleged connection to the disappearance of billions from 1MDB. DiCaprio isn’t accused of any wrongdoing in this embezzlement case and was called only to testify.
What Are The Allegations Against Pras Michel And Low Taek Jho?
Pras Michel is alleged to have funneled money from Taek Jho to the 2012 re-election campaign of Barack Obama through several straw donors. Investigators stated that five years later he had tried to bury an investigation under Donald Trump’s administration into the same businessman.
As per charges, Michel used approximately 20 straw donors to donate money to Obama’s re-election campaign and conceal where the money actually came from. Prosecutors accused that from 2012’s June to November, Taek Jho sent upwards of $21.6m to Michel’s accounts from foreign entities to fund the 2012 presidential elections.
Leonardo DiCaprio also recalled a conversation where Taek Jho had stated that he had planned to make a huge contribution to the re-election campaign of Obama. He said, “It was a significant sum – something to the tune of $20-30m. I said, ‘Wow that’s a lot of money!'” Taek Jho has fled to China but he has maintained that he is innocent.
Source: The Guardian
