As if Grey's Anatomy didn't have enough shady behind-the-scenes situations, add an Epstein connection to the list.
Long before news broke that Jeffrey Epstein was facing charges for allegedly trafficking underage girls, he was living it up among A-listers and making loads of famous friends. Everyone in his large circle of influence was connected to showbiz money in one way or another, like the current US president when he was a reality TV mogul or (believe it or not) Naomi Campbell.
One of Jeff's high society connections is now at the center of his scandal: Ghislaine Maxwell. She's a socialite-turned-producer who's been rubbing shoulders with Hollywood elites for decades.
Celebs are distancing themselves from the pair of them now - but you can't erase the past, especially when pics are involved. Read on to see what a certain Gray's Anatomy star probably wishes didn't exist.
Ghislaine Maxwell was Jeffrey Epstein's 'Main Girlfriend'
Here's what to know about Ghislaine: her relationship with Jeffrey was a weird one. According to the Wall Street Journal, she was his "main girlfriend" for decades while he had relationships with other women, too. Recent public statements from District Attorney Audrey Strauss clarify their situation a bit:
“Starting in 1994 until at least 1997, Maxwell had a personal and professional relationship with Jeffrey Epstein," she claimed in a statement on behalf of the Southern District of New York. "Maxwell was among Epstein’s closest associates and helped him exploit girls...[she] played a critical role in helping Epstein to identify, befriend and groom minor victims." Yikes.
Ghislaine is also to blame for introducing Jeffrey to the scandal-ridden Prince Andrew, who was a long time family friend of hers. Her dad is a British media baron according to the Wall Street Journal, so that makes sense to us.
Ghislaine Has Loads of Network TV Connections
By both working as a film producer and socializing on the arm of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine ended up making friends with a lot of TV and movie stars. Here she's pictured sharing a table at a private charity event with Josh Lucas (far right) from Ford vs. Ferrari and Julianna Margulies (middle) from ER. Below you can see her smiling with her arm around Kelly Rutherford, the actress who played Blake Lively's character's mom on Gossip Girl.
These celeb photo ops aren't just chance encounters. Many were taken at private events that Ghislaine had a hand in organizing, or for exclusive groups that Ghislaine was a member of. It wasn't rare for Ghislaine to even host fundraising galas in her own home, meaning celebs in attendance were an intimate part of her social circle.
Ghislaine and Jessica Capshaw Go Way Back
One such picture shows Ghislaine at a private party with two friends in 2000. They were attending a dinner together after the BAFTA Awards according to Getty Images. Recognize these ladies? On the far right is actress Denise Richards, and in the middle is someone you might be more used to seeing walking the halls of Seattle Grace Hospital with one prosthetic leg: Jessica Capshaw.
Jessica Played Arizona Robbins on Grey's Anatomy
Since its fifth season, Grey's Anatomy has featured Jessica as Dr. Arizona Robbins. (That means she's appeared on the show for eleven years, and more than 220 episodes according to IMDB.) Arizona is known for having no left leg and being Callie's main love interest. She's also an upbeat and friendly pediatric surgeon, which, given the nature of the claims made against Jeffrey Epstein regarding underage trafficking, is a truly unfortunate coincidence.
While Jessica's character was working hard to heal children on Grey's, her offscreen pal Ghislaine might have been putting other kids right in harm's way. At least fans of the show can take comfort in Jessica's character's resilience. Arizona survived a plane crash and a car crash throughout the series, so an unfortunate connection to a potential trafficker might not finish her career off.
For now, Ghislaine Maxwell is awaiting trial in a guarded federal facility according to CNN. We can only hope celebs like Jessica keep their distance (and not just the recommended 6 feet).