The government asserts that funding for Red Granite films came from stolen Malaysian funds and that DiCaprio was gifted artwork purchased with embezzled money. The actor has already turned over a Marlon Brando Oscar.
The U.S. government is expanding its civil forfeiture case tied to assets allegedly diverted by high-level officials in Malaysia. On Thursday, the feds filed a new complaint aimed at seizing rights to the Red Granite Pictures-produced films Dumb and Dumber To and Daddy’s Home. The government is asserting that tens of millions of dollars used to produce these films are traceable to foreign corruption. Additionally, the feds are eyeing gifts given to a couple of celebrities, including high-priced paintings once enjoyed by Leonardo DiCaprio, now possibly in the government’s possession.
Last year, a similar complaint was made in California federal court with respect to The Wolf of Wall Street, the Oscar-nominated film directed by Martin Scorsese. The film was allegedly financed with assets from a fund called 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), then diverted into shell companies. Some of the money is said to have gone to Red Granite, run by CEO Riza Aziz, the stepson of Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak. Of $4.5 billion allegedly misappropriated, a portion went “to fund the co-conspirators’ lavish lifestyles, including purchases of artwork and jewelry, the acquisition of luxury real estate and luxury yachts, the payment of gambling expenses, and the hiring of musicians and celebrities to attend parties.”
[…]
