Former GTA Developer Leslie Benzies Denies Connection to Epstein: “I Have Never Met Him”

Leslie Benzies, a veteran producer of the Grand Theft Auto series and former president of Rockstar North, has recently been named in a set of files released by the Justice Department related to Jeffrey Epstein. An allegation from an individual claiming to be a victim of Epstein has surfaced, accusing Benzies of sexual assault. In response, a spokesperson for Benzies issued a statement denying the claims.

“These allegations are false. I had a three-month consensual relationship with this person, and I have never met Jeffrey Epstein, nor have I ever visited his island, his properties, or traveled on his plane. Any suggestion otherwise is misleading,” the statement asserts.

Benzies’ name appears in a 62-page document that includes allegations from Sarah Ransome, who previously filed a lawsuit against Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell for alleged sex trafficking. Ransome also authored a book in 2021 titled Silenced No More: Surviving My Journey to Hell and Back.

The document seems to be a witness list compiled by Ransome, where she accuses Benzies of sexual assault at one point. She also mentions Sam Houser, the current president of Rockstar Games, but not in relation to any allegations. There is no indication that the claims in Ransome’s document have been verified by federal investigators. Ransome could not be reached for immediate comment, and Rockstar did not respond to inquiries.

Currently, Benzies is at Build a Rocket Boy, a studio he co-founded after departing from Rockstar in 2016 amid disputes over royalties. The studio released its first game, MindsEye, last year, which received negative reviews and sparked discussions about its troubled development. A YouTuber who has posted several videos about the game was recently accused by Build a Rocket Boy’s co-CEO, Mark Gerhard, of attempting to undermine the studio.

Gerhard threatened legal action against the YouTuber, known as Cyber Boi, shortly after he published a video discussing Benzies’ mention in the Epstein files. That video has since been removed due to the threat of litigation. Build a Rocket Boy has confirmed that Benzies is still with the studio as it continues to update MindsEye and develop its metaverse project, Everywhere.