Stephen Hawking pictured with bikini-clad companions in Epstein files as young women joined science event
Newly revealed documents and photographs in the Jeffrey Epstein files show stephen hawking reclining on a sun lounger beside bikini-clad women, a development that revisits the late scientist's presence at Epstein-organised gatherings and raises fresh questions about who attended those events. The images and related court material include details about the setting, the women pictured with Hawking, and a family response that rejects any insinuation of inappropriate conduct.
Stephen Hawking in the Epstein files
A photograph of the late scientist relaxing on a sun lounger beside two bikini-clad women has been revealed among documents released as part of the US Department of Justice investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The picture is described in the files as undated; the image shows Hawking reclining with a cocktail in his hand, the drink steadied by one of the two women. It is understood that the women in the photograph were his long-term carers, since he required round-the-clock care.
The setting: a 2006 science symposium at the Ritz Carlton, St Thomas
The photograph is said to have been taken in 2006 during a science symposium at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, St Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands. At that event, Hawking gave a speech on quantum cosmology. He was one of 21 scientists who visited St Thomas and the 75-acre private island Little Saint James as part of the broader science event tied to Epstein's activities in the region.
Young women joined the science event and appear in photos
Headlines from the recent disclosures note that young women joined an Epstein science event attended by Stephen Hawking. The newly surfaced image shows bikini-clad women sipping cocktails beside Hawking, and the files link scenes from the symposium to visits to the nearby private island retreat. Photographs from other occasions show Hawking on Little Saint James and participating in island activities.
Other photographs and accommodations
Earlier-released images include a photograph from 2015 showing Hawking in his wheelchair at an outdoor dinner on Little Saint James with several other people, and another picture of the cosmologist inside a submarine touring the island's seabed. The records indicate that the underwater vessel was reportedly modified to allow Hawking to enter it, reflecting accommodations made for his mobility needs.
Allegations in court documents and the family response
Two years ago, court documents revealed that Jeffrey Epstein told Ghislaine Maxwell she could offer a financial reward to friends of his accuser Virginia Giuffre if they could "help prove" that an apparent allegation that Hawking had engaged in an "underage orgy" was false. The files show Hawking's name appears hundreds of times across the assembled material; the presence of a name in these documents does not in itself indicate wrongdoing.
A spokesperson for the Hawking family responded to the material by stressing the scale of his scientific contributions and the severity of his condition. The family statement described Professor Hawking as having made some of the greatest contributions to physics in the 20th century while also being the longest-known survivor of motor neurone disease. It noted he had lived with the condition for more than 55 years, was reliant on a ventilator, voice synthesiser, wheelchair and round-the-clock medical care, and said any insinuation of inappropriate conduct on his part is wrong and far-fetched in the extreme.
Context from foundation materials and outstanding details
Materials linked to the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation outline related gatherings in 2012 when guests met to discuss scientific topics, relax on the beach, and take trips to a nearby private island retreat, framed as an effort to determine what consensus, if any, exists for defining gravity. The files also note that Hawking has previously been seen in photographs taken on Epstein's Caribbean island, while no pictures of Hawking and the convicted paedophile together are known to exist.
These documents and images provide a fuller record of who attended Epstein-linked science events and how Hawking, who died in 2018 aged 76, appeared in materials connected to those gatherings. The disclosures combine photographic evidence, foundation descriptions of meetings, and court documents referencing attempts to challenge allegations; the documentation leaves several outstanding questions and contextual details that remain subject to legal review and further clarification.
