Stephen Hawking’s Photo With Bikini‑Clad Women Goes Viral: Is It Linked to Epstein Files? Here’s the Truth

New Delhi: A photograph of Stephen Hawking smiling between two bikini‑clad women has gone viral, sparking claims it is tied to the Jeffrey Epstein files. The image shows the late astrophysicist reclining on a lounge chair, holding a red cocktail in what looks like a resort setting.

Because Hawking’s name appears more than 250 times in U.S. Justice Department documents related to Epstein - the disgraced financier, convicted sex offender, and paedophile - speculation quickly spread online.

Hawking, who died in 2018 at age 76 after living with ALS for five decades, had indeed crossed paths with Epstein. In March 2006, he attended a scientific conference funded and hosted by Epstein on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas, just months before Epstein was first charged with soliciting prostitution in Florida. The conference drew several world‑renowned scientists.

Hawking’s name also surfaced in accusations made by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers. Giuffre alleged that Hawking had once participated “in an underage orgy” in the Virgin Islands. Epstein himself tried to discredit her claims. In a 2015 email to his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein suggested offering cash rewards to Giuffre’s friends or acquaintances if they could help prove her allegations false. He specifically referenced “the new version in the Virgin Islands that Stephen Hawking participated in an underage orgy,” in a typo‑ridden message.

Despite these mentions in the files, Hawking’s family and former assistants insist the viral photo is unrelated to Epstein. The women pictured were his long‑term caregivers, and the image was taken at the Ritz‑Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes in 2006 during a professional trip. One of the women, Monica Guy, later confirmed in a 2008 blog post that she was Hawking’s assistant at the time and included the same photo in a piece about hotel accessibility for disabled travellers.

The resurfacing of the photo alongside Epstein’s files has fueled confusion, but context matters. Hawking was a celebrated physicist who relied on round‑the‑clock care due to his condition. The viral image reflects his dependence on assistants during travel, not evidence of involvement in Epstein’s crimes.

The controversy shows how quickly misinformation spreads online, especially when linked to notorious figures like Epstein. While Hawking’s name does appear in the files and in Giuffre’s allegations, the viral photo itself is from a hotel accessibility blog post in 2008 and not from Epstein’s private island or any event connected to his heinous activities.

Read More: Epstein Files Reveal Missing FBI Records: Allegations Against Trump Documented, But Key Pages Withheld