Leonardo DiCaprio testified in the trial of ex-Fugees rapper Pras Michel, who is accused of accepting money from a fugitive tycoon to influence American legislators.
Mr. Michel, age 50, allegedly received over $100 million (£80 million) from the Malaysian oligarch Jho Low.
He denies numerous allegations, including conspiracy and tampering with witnesses.
Mr. DiCaprio, 48, who is not accused of misconduct in the case, was compelled to testify regarding his connections to Mr. Low.
The world’s biggest embezzlement scheme, 1MDB, accuses Mr. Low of stealing billions from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund.
According to federal prosecutors, Mr. Michel was compensated to exert “illegal, secret foreign influence” on American politics.
Mr. Michel is charged of illegally contributing to Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign through a network of foreign-funded third parties.
Prosecutors think Mr. Low wanted to use Mr. Michel to convince Trump administration officials to drop their 1MDB investigation.
In this instance, both Mr. Michel and Mr. Low are charged, but only Mr. Michel is present in court. Mr. Low is presently on the run and presumed to be in China.
A multitude of extravagant events
The prosecution claims the financier used his wealth to curry favour with celebs like Mr. DiCaprio and Miranda Kerr.
Mister Low’s festivities also attracted celebrities such as Alicia Keys, Paris Hilton, and Britney Spears. Once, Spears jumped out of a birthday cake to bid Mr. Low a happy birthday.
Monday in court in Washington, DC, a soft-spoken, beard-sporting Mr. DiCaprio testified about his financial ties to Mr. Low.
“An actor” Leonardo DiCaprio told the jury he met Mr. Low in 2010 at a Las Vegas party.
In subsequent years, he attended “a multitude of lavish parties” on yachts and in nightclubs. Along with other personalities, actors, and musicians, at Mr. Low’s invitation.
After a New Year’s Eve bash in Australia, Mr. DiCaprio and Mr. Low flew to the US to celebrate twice.
Wolf of Wall Street, starring an actor as a notorious con artist, was partly financed by a Mr. Low-affiliated company.
Mr. DiCaprio stated in court, “I believed him to be a powerful businessman with a vast network.” “He was a business prodigy and incredibly successful.
US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly repeatedly told the actor to “keep his voice up” for the jury and court reporter.
Mr. Michel glanced at the actor and waved when he was asked to identify himself in court by Mr. DiCaprio.
Bloomberg previously reported that Mr. Low was “especially generous” with Mr. DiCaprio, donating a $3.2 million Picasso and a $9.2 million Jean-Michel Basquiat to his charity.
Mr. DiCaprio reportedly turned over these and other items received from Mr. Low to authorities later on.
Monday, the actor stated that Mr. Low actively participated in auctions conducted by Mr. DiCaprio in St. Tropez “to raise funds” for his foundation with an emphasis on the environment.
Later in their relationship, according to Mr. DiCaprio, the two men began discussing US politics, with Mr. Low expressing a desire to make a “significant contribution” of between $20 million and $30 million to the Democratic party before the 2012 presidential election.
Mr. DiCaprio stated, “I exclaimed, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of money’.” Authorities suspect that these funds were misappropriated from 1MDB.
In his testimony, Mr. DiCaprio did not accuse Mr. Michel of malfeasance.
He stated that he met Mr. Michel for the first time in the 1990s after a Fugees concert.
He added that Mr. Michel may have also attended a Thanksgiving celebration at his residence. Although “memory does not serve” and he was unable to confirm this.
Mr. DiCaprio reportedly testified before a grand jury in Washington, DC in 2019 as part of the investigation into the 1MDB conspiracy by the Department of Justice.
Mr. DiCaprio told the jury that he lost contact with Mr. Low in 2015 after learning of the investigation into his financial transactions.
The Oscar-winning actor may not be the only celebrity to testify at the prosecution of Pras Michel.
During jury selection, attorneys identified actors Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, and Mark Wahlberg, in addition to director Martin Scorsese, as potential witnesses, according to CNN.
Former high-ranking US government officials and political insiders, such as Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s former chief strategist, and Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and Mr. Trump’s former attorney, could also testify in the extensive case.
