The pressure campaign surrounding the Epstein files just hit a whole new level.
Bill and Hillary Clinton have now been officially referred to the Department of Justice for potential arrest after they refused to sit for their scheduled depositions before the House Oversight Committee. Their October testimony was delayed over “scheduling conflicts,” and they’ve since continued to stonewall investigators demanding answers about their long-documented relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Lawmakers say the refusal is unacceptable — and that no one gets to duck a lawful subpoena, especially not two of the most politically connected figures in modern history.
The referral is now in DOJ hands, and if they choose to act, this could become one of the biggest accountability fights Washington has seen in decades.
Democrats opened Pandora’s box with the Epstein files.
Now the fallout is landing squarely on their own icons.
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Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) has managed to tick off half her own party, sparking a House vote Monday night to rebuke Rep. Chuy García (D-IL) for engineering a glide path for his chief of staff to take his seat.Gluesenkamp Perez is blasting García for what she calls “election subversion,” a charge that’s infuriated Democrats who say she’s torpedoing party unity at the worst possible time.
One House Democrat griped to Axios that “people were extremely frustrated last week” when Gluesenkamp Perez forced the vote just as the House cleared a government funding bill most Democrats detested.
A senior Democrat piled on, telling Axios lawmakers are “very pissed” the flap is creating fresh infighting right before an expected vote on releasing the Epstein files.
Leadership plans to smother her resolution with a motion to table, lawmakers said. The two-page measure scolds García for dropping his reelection bid right before Illinois’ filing deadline, clearing the field for his chief of staff, Patty García, who is now the lone candidate on the primary ballot.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he “strongly” backs García and dismissed Gluesenkamp Perez’s move as a “so-called motion of disapproval.”
“Representative García’s actions are beneath the dignity of his office and incompatible with the spirit of the United States Constitution,” the resolution declares.
García’s fellow Illinois colleague, Jan Schakowsky, erupted in support for her longtime pal after Gluesenkamp Perez filed the resolution, screeching on the House floor.
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His office rushed talking points to colleagues on Monday, insisting he “followed all requirements and deadlines under Illinois law” and warning that the vote “creates distraction and divisiveness among Democrats.”
But not everyone is falling in line. Several moderates told Axios they might buck leadership and back Gluesenkamp Perez when the procedural vote hits the floor.
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), a close ally of Gluesenkamp Perez, made his own feelings clear, noting he announced his retirement months before his state’s deadline.
“If I know I’m going to get done then I should get done so that there is time and space for people to make the decision to offer their name. … Every day that I now wait is taking time away from someone else,” he said.
In a colorized photograph from 1952, a young woman of 23 gazes into the camera with a mixture of poise and youthful spark. Her features are delicate yet unmistakably confident, her expression alive with the promise of a career just beginning to blossom. That woman was Jean Simmons, an actress whose journey from London stage schoolgirl to international screen star would span decades, eventually making her one of the most beloved performers of her era. Today, as we celebrate what would have been her 95th birthday, that image feels both timeless and poignant — a reminder of a career built on elegance, versatility, and quiet strength.
Born in London in 1929, Jean Simmons came of age during a period of upheaval and resilience. Like many children of her generation, her formative years were marked by World War II. Yet it was in these years of uncertainty that her talent and determination began to shine. Originally training as a dancer, she was discovered by chance and shifted into acting, beginning with small roles in British cinema. By her late teens, Simmons was already earning notice for her performances, including her breakout in David Lean’s
Great Expectations (1946), where she played the young Estella. Even in her brief screen time, she radiated a magnetic quality that could not be ignored.
That early promise led to increasingly significant roles in British films. In
Black Narcissus (1947), directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, Simmons made an unforgettable impression as Kanchi, a beguiling teenage girl in the Himalayas — a performance that captured the exoticism and danger so central to the film’s story. Soon after, she earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of Ophelia in Laurence Olivier’s
The photograph from 1952 reflects a turning point in her life. By then, Simmons had signed a contract with Hollywood’s RKO Pictures and moved across the Atlantic. The transition was not without challenges; she became embroiled in contractual disputes with the studio, a battle that would drag on for years. Yet her work never faltered. She starred in
Androcles and the Lion (1952) and Young Bess (1953), where she played the young Queen Elizabeth I with regal authority. In these roles, Simmons demonstrated her remarkable ability to balance innocence with gravitas — a trait that would define her career.
The 1950s were Simmons’s golden years in Hollywood. She appeared in sweeping epics and intimate dramas alike, cementing her versatility. In Guys and Dolls (1955), she surprised audiences with her musical talent as the prim and proper Sister Sarah Brown opposite Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra. Her clear, expressive voice and comedic timing proved that she could handle romance and humor just as deftly as tragedy. In
The Big Country (1958), she brought warmth and intelligence to the role of Julie Maragon, acting alongside Gregory Peck. Perhaps most famously, she starred as Varinia in Spartacus (1960), giving a performance of quiet dignity opposite Kirk Douglas in one of Hollywood’s most iconic historical epics.
What distinguished Simmons was not the flamboyance often associated with leading ladies of the era, but her subtlety. She conveyed deep emotion with a glance or a pause, creating characters that felt lived-in and real. While Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor dazzled with spectacle, Simmons won hearts with restraint and sincerity. She was often called “the actress’s actress,” admired by colleagues for her craft and discipline.
As the decades progressed, Simmons adapted seamlessly to changing times. While the studio system began to wane and roles for women shifted, she found success on television. In the 1970s and 1980s, she embraced the small screen with the same dedication she had shown in film. Her performance in
The Thorn Birds (1983), one of the most-watched miniseries of its time, earned her both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe. For younger generations, it was this role that introduced Jean Simmons not as a Hollywood starlet of the past, but as a contemporary television icon.
Off-screen, Simmons lived a life less turbulent than many of her peers. She married twice, first to actor Stewart Granger and later to director Richard Brooks, with whom she had two daughters. Though her personal life occasionally intersected with Hollywood’s glare, she remained remarkably grounded, valuing her family and personal privacy above the trappings of stardom.
Looking back, the legacy of Jean Simmons is one of quiet endurance. She may not have chased scandal or flamboyant publicity, but her body of work speaks volumes. Over a career spanning six decades, she earned an Academy Award, an Emmy, and a Golden Globe, and more importantly, she left audiences with performances that continue to resonate. Whether as the tragic Ophelia, the determined Varinia, or the resolute matriarchs of television dramas, Simmons brought authenticity and grace to every role she touched.
That colorized snapshot from 1952 captures her at 23, on the cusp of a transatlantic career that would take her from British ingénue to Hollywood royalty. With a sparkle in her eye and a promising future ahead, she could not have known that she would one day be celebrated as one of cinema’s most enduring figures. Today, at what would have been her 95th birthday, it serves as a reminder of a woman who combined beauty with intelligence, and stardom with humanity.
Jean Simmons was not just an actress of her time — she was an actress for all time. Her ability to connect with audiences across eras ensures that her legacy remains alive, not only in her films but in the memories of those who continue to discover her work. And in that photograph, full of promise, we glimpse the beginnings of a career that would warm hearts and become part of cinematic history.