TALK OF THE TOWN

‘Once Upon a Time in Pedowood’: Tarantino Billboards Defaced With Epstein, Polanski Photos

A Los Angeles billboard for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” now reads “Once Upon a Time in Pedowood.”

Jeffrey Epstein may be sitting in a Manhattan jail cell, but that doesn’t mean you won’t catch a glimpse of him in Hollywood. A billboard promoting Quentin Tarantino’s latest film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was defaced this week, with the artist replacing images of Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio with photos of Epstein and Roman Polanski. He dubbed the creation Once Upon a Time in Pedowood, a direct jab at Epstein, who’s been charged with sex-trafficking crimes, and Polanski, who is a convicted child rapist. The artist who altered the billboards goes by the name of Sabo, and says the changes are meant as a slight to the entertainment industry, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I felt they should all share a billboard to highlight a decades-old problem that has plagued Hollywood for decades: the abuse of children,” Sabo said. The illustrations also extend to several benches throughout Hollywood.

Hollywood largely embraced Polanski in the aftermath of his conviction, and Tarantino in particular has defended Polanski, saying: “He didn’t rape a 13-year-old. It was statutory rape... he had sex with a minor. That’s not rape.” The film, which is set in 1969 against the Charles Manson murders, features Margot Robbie playing Sharon Tate—Roman Polanski’s then-wife. While Epstein’s public ties to Hollywood are not as evident as Polanski’s, he has been known to move freely in Hollywood circles.