Leonardo DiCaprio Testifies Against Fugees Rapper Pras Michel at Musician’s Money-Laundering Trial: Details
04.04.2023 - 17:55
/ usmagazine.com
The wolf of the courtroom. Leonardo DiCaprio took the stand to testify in former Fugees rapper Pras Michel’s money-laundering case.
The Don’t Look Up star, 48, appeared in court in Washington, D.C. on Monday, April 3, and was questioned for close to an hour about his connections to Malaysian businessman Jho Low, according to NBC News. Michel, 50, is accused of participating in a global conspiracy, funded by Low, 41, that used foreign money to make illegal campaign contributions.
Michel — who had pleaded not guilty — is also accused of witness tampering and failing to register as a foreign agent of the Chinese government, while Low is accused of stealing billions of dollars from the company 1Malaysia Development Berhad. Low remains at large, while Michel is on trial and could face up to 20 years in prison. The two are also accused of lobbying with former president Donald Trump’s administration to “extradite a Chinese dissident living in America,” NBC News reports.
DiCaprio, in particular, was questioned about how Low helped fund the 2013 movie The Wolf of Wall Street — which the actor starred in and produced — using funds from 1Malaysia Development Berhad. During his testimony, the Oscar winner claimed that he and his team looked into the investor “to see whether the financing was good or not and safe to accept.”
He went on to explain that Low’s funding helped cover the “financing of the film, payment of the cast and crew” and more.
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The Great Gatsby star also weighed in on accusations that Low and Michel — who cofounded the Fugees with fellow band members Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean in 1990 — funneled millions of dollars to donate to former president Barack Obama’s 2012