Ovitz Walks Out: CAA Co-Founder Refuses Epstein Questions in Deposition

When you’re hauled into a deposition by court order, you’re supposed to show up and answer questions—all of them. Michael Ovitz, the legendary co-founder of powerhouse talent agency CAA, apparently missed that memo.

The Hollywood veteran appeared for questioning in Julia Ormond’s lawsuit against CAA, Weinstein, Miramax, and Disney. Ormond filed the case in 2023 under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, alleging that CAA knew about Harvey Weinstein’s pattern of sexual misconduct but still arranged a dinner meeting with him in 1995 that she says led to a sexual assault. During her deposition, Ovitz was willing to discuss Weinstein—calling him a“bully”and explaining that he clashed with the disgraced producer over his“methodology of business.”He claimed he had no knowledge of sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein until they became public in 2017. Fine. That’s answering the questions.

But when deposing attorneys pivoted to Ovitz’s association with Jeffrey Epstein, everything changed. According to the article, Ovitz flatly declared,“I’m not going to discuss anything about Jeffrey Epstein. You can ask all the questions you want — you’re going to get no answers.”He then announced he was“done with this”and walked out.

That refusal matters because emails released in the Epstein Files suggest Ovitz and Epstein had a relationship, including meetings in St. Barts. For a witness compelled to testify under court order, stonewalling doesn’t typically end well. Ormond’s legal team is now seeking to have Ovitz held in contempt and arrested to ensure the deposition gets completed.

This is a familiar pattern in high-profile litigation: powerful figures often face less pressure when discussing alleged misconduct by others, but clam up entirely when their own associations come under scrutiny. The contrast between Ovitz’s willingness to discuss Weinstein and his refusal to address Epstein raises an obvious question—what’s at stake in those unanswered questions?