The talent recruiter behind some of the acts in President Donald Trump’s failed Freedom 250 concert series has been thrust into the spotlight because of his name—Jeff Epstein.
Comedians Jon Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel pointed out the coincidence that the booker behind some of the acts, including Morris Day, Young MC, Vanilla Ice and Milli Vanilli, shares the name of Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender whose case has plagued the Trump administration.
Jeff Epstein is the co-owner and president of Universal Attractions Agency, a fact that was highlighted by the comedians on their Monday late-night shows as artists are bailing on the MAGA gig at an alarming rate.
It comes as Trump lashed out at artists for getting “the yips” about performing at the Great American State Fair, the event celebrating America’s 250th anniversary organized by Freedom 250, a public-private partnership established by the president.
“Jeff Epstein of Universal Attractions is in charge of—forgive me—recruiting talent for a Donald Trump party? That’s what you’re telling me?” Stewart said on The Daily Show. “In planning our country’s 250th birthday, somebody had to go into Donald Trump’s office and say, ‘I know just the guy?’ How bad do you feel for that guy?”
“After years of being ‘not that Epstein,’ he finally gets all of his acts books,” Stewart continued. “It’s all coming up Epstein. And then the acts collapsed.”
Kimmel, meanwhile, said the saga had taken an even “crazier” turn following the revelation.
“Vanilla and Flo-Rida , along with many of the performers who were originally announced, and that includes Morris Day, Young MC, and the aforementioned Milli Vanilli, are represented by the Universal Attractions Agency, which is an agency owned by a man who was unfortunate enough to be named—and everyone relax when I say this—Jeff Epstein is the guy’s name,” Kimmel said. “Poor b******.”
“Hey, listen, I’m not a conspiracy guy but what if Jeffrey Epstein didn’t die and instead chose a fate worse than death, which was being Vanilla Ice’s booking agent?” Kimmel quipped on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “Think about it.”
The Independent has contacted Universal Attractions Agency for comment.
Vanilla Ice, a client of the agency according to its website, was one of the few acts who had not pulled out of the event as of Monday.
The rapper told CBS that he would “play for anybody,” including Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he would also “go to Iran” to perform.
Trump mulled canceling the event over the weekend and replacing it with a political rally.
“We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain,” he said in a Truth Social post Saturday. “Cancel it, just like I canceled my involvement with the failing and unsafe to be in Kennedy Center.”
