An August 1998 interview with British businessman Richard Branson and Mexican actress Selma Jake with Conon O'Brien has resurfaced online after allegations of Branson's sex tapes being present in newly released Epstein documents.
WARNING: The following article discusses sex trafficking, sexual harassment, prostitution, and suicide, which may be disturbing to some. Reader discretion is advised.
At the interview, Richard Branson, then 48, walked in after his introduction and walked over to sit Salma Hayek, then 32. He immediately got up and forced Hayek to sit on his lap. Amidst her protests about the presence of her friend, he did not let her leave for a few seconds.
This old interview is circulating online, with many netizens reacting with disgust. One person commented below the video shared by @maybeinterestin on X and called Richard Branson a “dirty old goat.”
A newly unsealed batch of documents from the 2015 defamation lawsuit filed by one of Epstein's alleged victims, Virginia Giuffre, against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's associate and “right-hand woman,” provides new information.
One document reportedly shows a letter written by Sarah Ransom, another alleged victim of Epstein, to a journalist in 2016, in which she claims Epstein alleged the existence of sex tapes of Richard Branson, Bill Gates, and Prince Andrew.
Netizens are disgusted by Richard Branson's old interview with Salma Hayek
Following news of the alleged sex tapes, netizens discovered old videos of Branson. The unearthed interview with Richard Branson that forced Salma Hayek to sit on his lap has left the internet with a bitter taste in its mouth. Here are some reactions to X:
This is not the first time Richard Branson has been accused of inappropriate behavior. According to The Independent newspaper, the founder of the Virgin group of companies was accused by singer Antonia Gina of burying his face in her chest during a concert held on Necker Island in 2010.
Speaking to The Sun, the singer said she was “shocked” by the alleged incident, which was “completely unexpected”. She added:
“His behavior was disgusting.”
Richard Branson claimed he had “no recollection” of the alleged incident.
Newly released court documents allege that Epstein had sex tapes of Richard Branson
A batch of new court documents unsealed on January 8 reveal more shocking details about Jeffrey Epstein's high-level sex trafficking ring. One document reportedly highlighted letters sent by alleged victim Sarah Ransom to investigative journalist Maureen Callaghan in 2016.
In the alleged messages, Ransom claimed that Epstein had sex tapes of Richard Branson, Prince Andrew, and Bill Clinton.
According to The Independent, Ransom claimed her friend sent her “candid footage” that “clearly identifies” the faces of the men in the video.
“Thank God she is [Ransome’ friend] I was able to obtain some stills from the sex tapes that were filmed, which clearly outline the faces of Clinton, Prince Andrew and Branson having sex with her. All the shots but he was smart like that!
Ransom claimed to have made several copies of the videos and vowed to release the footage, allegedly writing:
“I'll also make sure everyone on this damn planet sees what's there [sic] Those snapshots and pictures [sic] They will be released for wiki leaks [sic] On Sunday. I will take down Epstein and his group of cronies myself!!!!!!!!!! I also went to a Russian newspaper.
In another email, Ransom retracted her claims, saying she feared “bad things” would happen if she didn't. Following her claims about the alleged sex tapes, Alan Dershowitz's legal team wrote a letter to the court claiming Ransom “lacks credibility.” They claimed her emails were,
“A necessary antidote to the false statements made by Ms. Ransom as they demonstrate that she clearly lacks credibility.”
According to The Independent, a Virgin Group spokesperson issued a statement on behalf of Richard Branson following the latest allegations. The text of the statement read:
“in The New Yorker In a report published in 2019, Ransom admitted that she had “invented” the tapes. We can confirm that Sarah Ransom's claims are baseless and baseless.
After the lawsuit was settled in 2017, the documents were kept under lock and key. According to The Independent, the Miami Herald sued to make the documents public, and a 2,000-page trove of documents was released in 2019.
On December 18, 2023, U.S. Magistrate Judge Loretta Preska ordered the remaining sealed and redacted documents to be released on January 3, 2024. The previously sealed documents named all partners as “John Doss” and “Jane Doss.”
Epstein's notorious “client list” listed several prominent men, including Bill Clinton, Stephen Hawking, Richard Branson, Prince Andrew, and Tom Pritzker, as associates of Epstein. Ghislaine Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for child trafficking. Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide himself in his prison cell awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking and prostitution of young girls.
