Stephen Hawking pictured in Epstein files: New photo shows physicist between two bikini-clad women
A fresh photograph in the Epstein Files shows Stephen Hawking smiling and seated alongside two women in bikinis, each holding cocktails. The image is part of the latest tranche of documents and has raised questions because where and when it was taken is unclear in the provided context.
Stephen Hawking in newly released files
The photograph depicts Stephen Hawking lounging next to the two women on what appears to be a sun-soaked tropical island. The two women have had their identities redacted in the released image. It is currently not known where or when the picture was taken.
What the new photo shows
The visible details in the image are limited to Hawking smiling and the two women sipping cocktails while wearing bikinis. The identities of the women are redacted and no additional identifying markers for the location or timing are available in the provided context.
Document tranche and context from the Justice Department
The photograph was released as part of more than 3 million documents in the latest tranche of Epstein Files shared by the US Justice Department last month. The files include many entries referencing the late physicist; Stephen Hawking appears repeatedly across the tranche. One email in the documents included a claim that linked Hawking to an alleged event in the Virgin Islands, stating that "the new version in the Virgin Islands that Stephen Hawking participated in an underage orgy, " a line that appears within a broader message about efforts to challenge allegations. Appearing in the so-called Epstein Files does not imply wrongdoing.
Hawking's previous links to Little St James and visits described in the files
Stephen Hawking, who died in 2018, is listed multiple times in the released material and had been pictured previously on Epstein's Island known as Little St James. In the provided context, he attended a conference on the island in March 2006 that was reportedly funded by Epstein. Prior to the newly surfaced image, Hawking was allegedly pictured twice on the island. On one visit, Epstein is said to have modified his submarine to give the scientist a tour of the island's seabed. Despite visits to the island, the material shows that Hawking was never pictured alongside the infamous sex trafficker.
Frequency of mentions and other notable items in the coverage
The files show Stephen Hawking nearly 250 times in total. Coverage around the latest tranche included a variety of other headlines and items. One headline that circulated read "Verifying Device. " Another item noted that Melania has now finished showing after a chief had previously said sales were soft. The coverage also referenced a six-part series set to air in November. Separate reporting in the collection mentioned that hospitals across Britain were told to postpone treatments last week, including knee and hip replacements, after problems arose at the health service's main supplier. An anniversary was marked with the UK promising more aid to help prop up forces in Kyiv.
What remains unclear and what to watch next
Key questions about the new photograph remain unclear in the provided context: the exact location, the date it was taken and the identities of the two women. The broader implications are constrained by the limits of the released material; appearing in the files is not, by itself, evidence of wrongdoing. Future releases or clarifications tied to the document tranche shared last month may add context, but details may evolve as more of the material is examined.
