Leonardo DiCaprio will no longer be headlining Hillary Clinton’s $33,400-per-guest fundraiser, with Justin Timberlake taking over his hosting duties.
Earlier reports suggested the change was in response to a Department of Justice investigation into ties between his foundation and a $3 billion embezzlement scheme, but a person with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap the change was due to “scheduling issues” on DiCaprio’s part.
The insider insisted “there has been no talk” of anything but a work conflict that is keeping DiCaprio in New York until Wednesday and unable to attend the Los Angeles event Tuesday.
The sudden change in party plans come just three days after The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation was revealed to be facing questions from the Justice Department about a financial connection to a $3 billion Malaysian embezzlement scandal.
DiCaprio’s personal ties to the figure at the center of the accusations, financier Jho Low, have been known for some time.
Low, a gambling and partying buddy of the “Revenant” star, is accused by the DOJ of siphoning off more than $3 billion from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB, and treating it essentially like a personal piggy bank, buying increasingly extravagant items and ingratiating himself with Hollywood A-listers.
Additional reporting by Matt Pressberg and Itay Hod