2026-02-27T18:11:12-0500 / 哥伦比亚广播公司新闻
如今，你在社交媒体上总能刷到关于爱泼斯坦档案的离奇阴谋论，这些帖子的浏览量高达数百万。但在人工智能时代，辨别真伪变得愈发困难。
因此，我们与哥伦比亚广播公司新闻确认团队合作，梳理了最热门的关于杰弗里·爱泼斯坦、吉斯莱恩·麦克斯韦及其据称与美国历史上一些重大新闻事件关联的阴谋论背后的真相。以下是我们的发现。
爱泼斯坦尚在以色列生活？假
你可能在社交媒体上看到过流传的照片，声称照片中的爱泼斯坦正由保镖陪同在特拉维夫街头行走。然而，经调查发现，这些照片明显带有AI生成的痕迹。
例如，2026年2月1日在Reddit上发布的一张照片，右下角有Gemini AI的水印，背景中的一个路牌写着“Haangus Ev.”，这并非真实的街道名称。
接下来，一些用户指出《堡垒之夜》游戏是支持这一理论的进一步证据。他们认为爱泼斯坦的《堡垒之夜》用户名最近在以色列重新活跃。
但这也是假的。让我们来谈谈这一谣言是如何产生的。
档案中有发送到爱泼斯坦YouTube账号“littlestjeff1”的电影和订阅收据，该账号注册邮箱为“jeevacation@gmail.com”。
还有一封电子邮件提到25.95美元购买《堡垒之夜》货币V币（VBucks）的费用。然而，这封V币相关的电子邮件未提及用户名，且发件人和收件人信息被编辑。
社交媒体用户只是假设爱泼斯坦在YouTube上的用户名与他在《堡垒之夜》上使用的用户名相同，并且假设爱泼斯坦确实有《堡垒之夜》账号，但我们实际上并不清楚这封电子邮件的发件人和收件人是谁。
有一个名为“littlestjeff1”的《堡垒之夜》用户资料，该用户似乎在2025年仍处于活跃状态，而此时杰弗里·爱泼斯坦早已死亡。当社交平台上开始流传该账号是爱泼斯坦仍在世的证据的猜测时，该资料突然在2月设为私密，这反而更添燃料。
但《堡垒之夜》官方现已出面表示，是一位现有账号所有者在最新一批爱泼斯坦档案发布后，将用户名改为“littlestjeff1”，并透露爱泼斯坦的YouTube名称。《堡垒之夜》证实，他们的账户系统中没有爱泼斯坦电子邮件地址的记录。
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自由新闻：观看：爱泼斯坦录音带，第二部分：法律之眼
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此外，大都会惩教中心在爱泼斯坦死后发布的照片也被社交媒体用户重新提起。许多人将这些照片与爱泼斯坦生前的照片并置，指出面部特征存在差异，并以此作为他实际上未死亡的证据。
哥伦比亚广播公司新闻回顾了2004年至2019年间的爱泼斯坦照片。确实，他的一些面部特征看起来有所不同。但根据美国国家卫生研究院（NIH）发表的研究，人死后，面部会因肿胀而发生变化。细菌分解组织并产生气体，加速尸体腐烂过程。
然而，爱泼斯坦的许多独特面部特征依然存在——如卷曲的灰白头发、浓密的黑眉毛、深陷的笑纹、下巴上的一道纹路以及形状相似的鼻孔。他的眉毛之间有明显的凹陷，多年来始终存在，眼部周围也有皱纹和眼袋。法医研究表明，面部褶皱在死后肿胀引起的变化中具有足够的韧性，可用于身份识别。
这些爱泼斯坦死后的照片与他一个月前自杀未遂时的照片，以及2004年、2013年和2017年的照片存在相似之处。
对比爱泼斯坦2004年、2013年、2017年、2019年7月及2019年8月死后的面部特征照片
美国司法部
纽约市首席医疗检查官在2019年8月裁定，爱泼斯坦的死因是上吊自杀。据《60分钟》报道，受爱泼斯坦兄弟雇佣调查其死亡并在尸检期间在场的法医病理学家表示，在爱泼斯坦牢房中发现的指纹与他2006年在佛罗里达州被捕时采集的指纹相符。
爱泼斯坦与琼贝妮特·拉姆齐有关联？假
美国司法部最新一批爱泼斯坦档案发布后不久，社交媒体用户开始传播这张来自爱泼斯坦曼哈顿联排别墅的照片。照片中，一个小女孩坐在爱泼斯坦的肩膀上，穿着与著名的琼贝妮特·拉姆齐照片中相似的连身裙。
是的，这两件物品确实相似，但事实是，这只是一件普通的儿童服装，许多孩子都可能穿过。不能以此作为爱泼斯坦及其涉嫌未成年人性交易与1996年科罗拉多州博尔德市其家人家中琼贝妮特死亡之间存在关联的确凿证据。
值得一提的是，琼贝妮特的父亲约翰·拉姆齐最近也回应了这一病毒式传播的阴谋论，并告诉《美国周刊》（TMZ）称“这完全没有事实依据”。
爱泼斯坦、麦克斯韦与马德琳·麦凯恩有关联？假
就像琼贝妮特的故事多年来一直吸引大众一样，2007年在葡萄牙度假时失踪的英国小女孩马德琳·麦凯恩的故事也同样引人关注。
如今，TikTok和Instagram上有许多病毒式传播的视频，强调一名嫌疑人的合成素描与麦克斯韦有相似之处。
这幅嫌疑人素描是真实的。麦凯恩父母的私家侦探于2009年8月6日发布了这幅素描，显示一名他们认为可能掌握其女儿失踪信息的女性。素描描绘了两名英国男子在麦凯恩于5月3日失踪三天后在巴塞罗那看到的一名女子。
但2007年5月（麦凯恩失踪当月）拍摄的麦克斯韦照片显示，她当时的头发比素描中的要长。对2007年其他几张麦克斯韦照片的审查表明，她的发型在整个2007年都保持得比素描中的长。
档案中还有其他内容被创作者作为这一理论的进一步证据。一名英国居民向联邦调查局提交了一份在线举报，称其于2009年9月看到麦克斯韦与麦凯恩在一起。确实，这个举报记录在档案中，但只是举报，并非确认目击。美国司法部已指出，发布的档案“可能包含伪造或虚假提交的图像、文件或视频，因为所有公众发送给联邦调查局的内容都被包含在内……”
最后，人们分享了这段监控录像，据称显示一名女子在麦凯恩失踪后不久与她一起走在街上。在一个角度中，该女子似乎戴着头巾，而在其他角度中，她看起来像吉斯莱恩·麦克斯韦。虽然视频是真实的，但没有确凿证据表明视频中的人是麦克斯韦或麦凯恩。
因此，哥伦比亚广播公司新闻确认团队也认为这一理论是假的。
麦克斯韦被替换为替身？假
在吉斯莱恩·麦克斯韦2026年2月作证后，一些人指出她面部特征和声音存在差异，支持一个阴谋论：他们认为作证的女子并非麦克斯韦本人，而是有人替换了她。
哥伦比亚广播公司新闻将麦克斯韦2015年、2016年和2020年的照片与2026年作证的视频进行对比，发现她的面部特征有诸多相似之处。多年来的照片显示，麦克斯韦的深色细眉毛、略微突出的耳朵和薄唇在静止时都有独特的形状。麦克斯韦的头发在2026年作证视频中也呈现出圆形轮廓，且在2015年的照片中也有一个明显的凹陷。
一些用户声称，与麦克斯韦其他视频相比，她在2026年作证时的声音听起来不同。司法部档案中发布的视频显示，在2015年和2016年的作证片段中，她的语气较为柔和。
麦克斯韦自2020年7月被捕以来一直被监禁，她被定罪并判处20年监禁。
她的律师大卫·奥斯卡·马库斯证实出席作证的确实是麦克斯韦。
“是的，照片中众议院监督委员会的听证会是吉斯莱恩。唉，监狱的生活很艰难，要记住她在纽约时就遭受了折磨，包括睡眠剥夺。外面有很多阴谋论，但这个可能会被载入史册。”马库斯告诉哥伦比亚广播公司新闻。
麦克斯韦的兄弟姐妹一直公开谈论他们妹妹的监禁情况，联邦监狱管理局的囚犯数据库中也有麦克斯韦的记录。
对比吉斯莱恩·麦克斯韦2015年、2016年、2020年和2026年的面部特征照片
美国司法部；盖蒂图片社
几天后，一段新的AI生成的麦克斯韦视频开始流传——该视频声称显示她在加拿大的一条街道上，有着灰白头发但面部特征可辨。经调查，我们确定这是AI面部替换技术的产物。当被要求置评时，视频创作者证实：“从未想过会演变成这样！我的初衷是制作讽刺内容，但人们未经核实就重新上传和解读了视频，为了博取关注故意误导大众。”
爱泼斯坦用放大镜虐待女孩？假
用户们声称一段旧视频显示爱泼斯坦用放大镜虐待一名年轻女孩。他们分享了一张截图，显示一名来电者向联邦调查局报告了一段他声称是爱泼斯坦虐待一名年轻女子的病毒式视频。
但这段视频已被揭穿。实际上，这是成人电影《Drea Morgan在玻璃下的监视》的片段，由Drea Morgan和一名与爱泼斯坦有几分相似的男性演员Lew Rubens主演，但此人并非爱泼斯坦。
爱泼斯坦策划新冠疫情？假
社交媒体用户声称，一封主题为“为大流行做准备”的电子邮件是爱泼斯坦策划新冠疫情的证据。该电子邮件于2015年转发给爱泼斯坦，邮件附件显示与日内瓦关于大流行的会议有关。
声称爱泼斯坦策划了疫情的用户指出，爱泼斯坦与比尔·盖茨有关联，而盖茨一直是新冠疫情相关阴谋论的焦点人物。盖茨基金会——致力于全球减少疾病和贫困——一直是世界卫生组织的主要捐赠者之一，并资助了BioNTech公司，该公司参与了首个新冠疫苗的研发。
没有证据表明爱泼斯坦事先了解新冠疫情。全球关于大流行防范的讨论并不罕见，也并非仅针对新冠疫情。
我们甚至发现有帖子称爱泼斯坦的DNA以某种方式存在于新冠疫苗中，但这毫无证据。
社交媒体用户声称爱泼斯坦与开发新冠疫苗的人合谋，将疫苗用作“带有他自身DNA的递送系统”。
一些发布该谣言的用户后来表示，他们并非将其作为事实陈述。
麦克斯韦与9/11袭击有关联？假
用户们分享了9/11恐怖袭击后几天发送给麦克斯韦的电子邮件作为她与袭击有关联的证据。
2001年9月18日发送的一封电子邮件询问“真正的飞行员在哪里？”，但未提供更多背景信息。美国司法部发布的另一份文件显示，同一邮件链中还有其他电子邮件，讨论麦克斯韦乘坐直升机降落在加利福尼亚州圣塔莫尼卡。
第二封来自作者爱德华·杰伊·爱泼斯坦的电子邮件，日期为2003年1月，邀请麦克斯韦参加“9/11影子委员会”，她予以拒绝。邮件中链接的网站“http://vvww.edwardjayepstein.com/pieces.htm”的2001年8月档案显示，这似乎是爱德华·爱泼斯坦的作品集网站。根据2003年2月的档案（即发送电子邮件的日期附近），该网站列出了“9-11-2001影子委员会”的优先事项，包括调查政府和安全方面的失败。
爱德华·爱泼斯坦于2024年去世，是一位以研究肯尼迪遇刺等类似高调话题而闻名的调查记者和作家，他的网站上有“谁杀了肯尼迪？”的标签。他多年来与杰弗里·爱泼斯坦有联系。《纽约时报》报道称两人并无亲属关系。
爱泼斯坦访问了数百万张学校照片？假
美国司法部最新一批爱泼斯坦档案发布后，创作者开始以爱泼斯坦与亿万富翁投资者莱昂·布莱克的关系为依据，散布谣言称Lifetouch——一家拍摄数百万名儿童学校照片的公司——将这些学校照片用作恋童癖者的“购物目录”。一些学区甚至因此取消了照片日。
莱昂·布莱克是阿波罗全球管理公司的前首席执行官，该公司于2019年收购了Lifetouch的母公司Shutterfly。
Lifetouch集团首席执行官肯·墨菲发表声明称，Lifetouch拍摄的学校照片“仅为家庭和学校安全保存，无任何例外。Lifetouch从未且不会向任何第三方提供图像。”
此外，墨菲表示，阿波罗全球管理公司及其基金均未参与Lifetouch的运营，阿波罗公司没有任何员工接触过这些图像。
爱泼斯坦因食人族感染库鲁病？假
社交媒体上流传的另一离奇理论声称，爱泼斯坦是一名食人族，档案中的视频证明他因食用人肉感染了库鲁病。
人们用来支持这一理论的主要证据是两段视频，其中可见爱泼斯坦面部部分肿胀。
虽然这些爱泼斯坦的视频是美国司法部发布的真实档案，但没有证据表明他的这些身体症状是库鲁病导致的。
根据美国国家卫生研究院（NIH）的数据，库鲁病通过仪式性食人族传播，症状出现后一年内死亡。
用户分享的一段电子邮件摘录中，爱泼斯坦说：“不是食物——是人。”另有一份文件显示了完整的电子邮件链上下文，其中爱泼斯坦是在比喻，指他不得不处理的难相处的人。
最后，这一说法在多个TikTok视频中被重复，这些视频包含AI生成的音频并遵循相同脚本——在某些情况下，甚至盗用其他创作者的肖像和声音进行传播。当你看到完全相同的脚本逐字重复的视频时，这可能意味着一个创作者抄袭另一个，也可能是AI生成的结果。
无论如何，没有证据表明这一理论有任何真实性。
与爱泼斯坦相关的“他们吃人”视频？假
一段一名女子用西班牙语大喊的旧视频在网上流传，有人声称视频显示一名墨西哥模特逃离爱泼斯坦的某个派对，大喊爱泼斯坦及其宾客吃人。
据西班牙新闻媒体Info7报道，这段视频实际上来自2009年8月墨西哥蒙特雷发生的一起事件。视频显示一名被确认为加布里埃拉·里科·希门尼斯的女子在酒店外大喊：“他们吃人。”Info7于2026年2月6日在Facebook上发布了一段回顾该女子过去报道的视频。
虽然该事件确实发生在蒙特雷一家酒店外，但该女子在视频中并未提及爱泼斯坦的名字，也没有证据表明该视频与爱泼斯坦有关。
The most viral Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theories, debunked
2026-02-27T18:11:12-0500 / CBS News
You can’t go on social media these days without being served outlandish conspiracy theories about the Epstein files. The posts have racked up millions of views. But in the age of AI, it can be hard to parse out what’s real from what isn’t.
So we worked with our CBS News Confirmed team to understand what, if anything, underpins the most viral conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and their supposed ties to some of the biggest news stories in American history. Here’s what we found.
Epstein alive and living in Israel? FALSE
You may have seen photos circulating on social media that purport to show Epstein walking around Tel Aviv, flanked by bodyguards. When investigated, though, we found these photos show obvious marks of being produced through AI.
For example, this photo posted on Reddit on Feb. 1 shows a Gemini AI watermark on the bottom right corner, and one of the signs in the background reads “Haangus Ev.”, which is not a real street name.
Next, some users were pointing to Fortnite as further evidence to back this theory. The argument there was that Epstein’s Fortnite username had newly become active again in Israel.
But this, too, is false. So let’s talk about how it came about.
In the files, there are movie and subscription receipts sent to Epstein’s YouTube account “littlestjeff1,” which is registered under his email “jeevacation@gmail.com.”
There is also an email that references a $25.95 charge for VBucks, the currency used on Fortnite. The VBucks email, however, makes no reference of a username, and the sender and recipient are redacted.
Social media users are simply making the assumption that Epstein’s username on YouTube would be the same username he’d use on Fortnite. And they’re making the assumption that Epstein had a Fortnite account at all, when we actually don’t know who the sender and recipient of that email were.
There is a profile for a Fortnite user named “littlestjeff1. And that user appeared to be active as recently as 2025, which is after Jeffrey Epstein’s death. When all of the speculation around this account being proof that Epstein was still alive started swirl on social, that profile suddenly went private in February, which only added fuel to the flames.
But Fortnite has now come out and said that an existing account owner simply changed their username to “littlestjeff1” after the final batch of Epstein files were released and Epstein’s YouTube name was revealed. And Fortnite confirmed that they have no record of Epstein’s email addresses existing in their account system.
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The Free Press: WATCH: The Epstein Tapes, Part II: The Eye of the Law
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Then, there are the photos that the Metropolitan Correctional Center released as evidence after Epstein’s death. Many people on social media are now pulling up these images, next to images of Jeffrey Epstein in life, pointing out disparities in various facial features, and using those disparities as proof that he isn’t actually dead.
CBS News reviewed images of Epstein from 2004 to 2019. And yes, it’s true that some of the facial features do look different. But after death, changes can occur in a face due to swelling, according to research published by the NIH. Bacteria break down tissues and produce gases that contribute to the body’s decomposition process.
And many of Epstein’s distinct facial features are still there — like his curly gray hair, dark bushy eyebrows, deep-set smile lines, a line across the chin, a similarly shaped nostril. There is a distinct indent between his eyebrows that is seen throughout the years, as well as wrinkles and bags under his eyes. Forensic scientists have conducted research that suggests facial creases may be resilient enough to changes caused by bloating after death and can be used for identification purposes.
These images of Epstein after his death show similarities to images of him from a suicide attempt a month prior, and also images of him in 2004, 2013 and 2017.
Comparison of facial features in photos of Jeffrey Epstein from 2004, 2013, 2017, July 2019 and after his death in August 2019. U.S. Department of Justice
The New York City Chief Medical Examiner ruled in August 2019 that Epstein’s cause of death was a suicide by hanging. A forensic pathologist, who was hired by Epstein’s brother to investigate the death and was present during Epstein’s autopsy, said the fingerprints on the body found in Epstein’s cell match those that were taken of Epstein during his 2006 arrest in Florida, 60 Minutes reported.
Epstein linked to JonBenet Ramsey? FALSE
Shortly after the latest batch of Epstein files was released by the U.S. Department of Justice, social media users started circulating this photo from Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse. It shows a little girl on Epstein’s shoulders, wearing a jumper similar to one worn in a well-known photo of JonBenet Ramsey.
Yes, the two items are similar, but the fact remains that it’s a generic piece of clothing which would have been worn by many children. It can’t be held up as conclusive evidence of any ties between Epstein, his sex trafficking of minors, and the 1996 death of JonBenet at her family’s home in Boulder, Colorado.
For what it’s worth, JonBenet’s father, John Ramsey, also recently responded to the viral conspiracy theory, telling TMZ there is “absolutely no truth to it.”
Epstein, Maxwell linked to Madeleine McCann? FALSE
Just as the story of JonBenet has fascinated the masses for years, so has the story of Madeleine McCann, a young British girl who went missing at the age of 3 while on vacation with her parents in Portugal in 2007.
Now, there are a number of viral videos on TikTok and Instagram highlighting the resemblance between a person of interest seen in a composite sketch and Maxwell.
That sketch of a person of interest is real. Private detectives working for McCann’s parents released a sketch on Aug. 6, 2009, showing a woman they believed may have information about their child’s disappearance. The sketch depicts a woman who was seen by two British men in Barcelona three days after McCann went missing on May 3.
But a photo of Maxwell from May 2007, the month McCann disappeared, shows Maxwell had longer hair than the sketch. And a review of several other photos of Maxwell throughout 2007 shows her hairstyle remained consistently longer than the sketch.
Then there’s something else in the files that creators are pointing to as further evidence of this theory. A U.K. resident submitted an online tip to the FBI regarding an alleged sighting of Maxwell with McCann in September 2009. And yes, that is really in the files. But it’s a tip, not a confirmed sighting. The DOJ has noted that the released files “may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos, as everything that was sent to the FBI by the public was included…”
Lastly, people are sharing this surveillance footage purporting to show a woman walking with McCann down a street shortly after her disappearance. In one angle, the woman appears to be wearing a head covering. At other times, she appears to resemble Ghislaine Maxwell. While the video is real, there is no concrete evidence that it shows either Maxwell or McCann.
So, the CBS News Confirmed team deems this theory false as well.
A lookalike swapped for Ghislaine Maxwell? FALSE
After Ghislaine Maxwell’s deposition in February, people started pointing to perceived discrepancies in her facial features and voice to support a conspiracy theory that the woman we saw in the deposition was not, in fact, Ghislaine Maxwell, but a lookalike that had been swapped in for her.
Comparing images of Maxwell from 2015, 2016 and 2020 to the 2026 deposition footage, CBS News identified numerous similarities in her facial features. Photos throughout the years show Maxwell’s dark thin eyebrows, slightly protruding ears and thin lips that have a distinct shape when at rest. Maxwell’s hair also has a rounded shape with a defined indent in the 2026 deposition and also in images of her from 2015.
Some users claimed Maxwell’s voice sounded different in her 2026 deposition when compared to other videos of her speaking. Videos released in the DOJ files show she spoke with a softer tone in clips that appear to be from depositions in 2015 and 2016.
Maxwell has been jailed since her July 2020 arrest. She was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Her attorney David Oscar Markus confirmed it was Maxwell who attended the deposition.
“Yes, that was Ghislaine in the House Oversight photo. Sigh. Jail is crushing and remember she was in torturous conditions — including sleep deprivation — back in New York. There are a lot of conspiracy theories out there but this one might be in the hall of fame,” Markus told CBS News.
Maxwell’s siblings have consistently posted about their sister’s imprisonment. And the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ inmates database lists Maxwell.
Comparison of facial features in photos of Ghislaine Maxwell from 2015, 2016, 2020 and 2026. U.S. Department of Justice; Getty Images
A few days later, a new AI-generated video of Ghislaine Maxwell started circulating — this one purporting to show her standing on a street in Canada, with gray hair but her recognizable facial features. When investigated, we determined that it’s an AI face swap. And when reached for comment, the video’s creator confirmed, saying: “Never meant for it to escalate the way it did! My intent was to make satire content but people reuploaded and interpreted the video without checking with me first, purposefully misleading people for engagement.”
Epstein tortured girl with a magnifying glass? FALSE
Users have claimed that an old video clip shows Epstein torturing a young girl with a magnifying glass. They share a screenshot showing that a caller reported to the FBI a viral video of what he said appeared to be Epstein torturing a young woman.
But this video has been debunked. It’s actually a clip from the adult film “Drea Morgan Stakeout Under Glass” starring Drea Morgan and a male actor, named Lew Rubens, who bears some resemblance to Epstein. But it is not, in fact, Epstein.
Epstein orchestrated COVID-19 pandemic? FALSE
Social media users have claimed an email with the subject line “Preparing for pandemics” is evidence that Epstein planned the COVID-19 pandemic. The email was forwarded to Epstein in 2015 and an attachment on the email indicates it was related to a meeting in Geneva about pandemics.
Users claiming that Epstein orchestrated the pandemic pointed to Epstein’s ties to Bill Gates, who has been the subject of conspiracy theories related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gates Foundation — which works to reduce disease and poverty around the world — has been one of the World Health Organization’s primary donors to and also funded BioNTech, which helped develop the first COVID-19 vaccine.
There is no evidence Epstein had prior knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Global discussions about pandemic preparedness are not abnormal and are not exclusively related to COVID-19.
We’ve even found posts alleging that Jeffrey Epstein’s DNA was somehow in the COVID shots. But there’s no evidence of that.
Social media users have purported that Epstein conspired with people who developed COVID vaccinations to utilize it as a “delivery system with some of his own DNA”.
Some users who posted about the rumor later said they did not say it as fact.
Maxwell tied to 9/11 attacks? FALSE
Users are sharing emails sent to Maxwell days after Sept. 11, 2001, as evidence that she had ties to the attacks.
One email sent on Sept. 18, 2001, asks, “Where is the real pilot?” without further context. A separate document released by the DOJ shows additional emails sent on the same chain, which discusses Maxwell landing in Santa Monica, California, on a helicopter.
A second email from the author Edward Jay Epstein, dated January 2003, invites Maxwell to the “Shadow Commission on 9/11”, which she declines. An August 2001 archive for the website “http://vvww.edwardjayepstein.com/pieces.htm” linked in the email shows what appears to be a portfolio website for Edward Epstein. A February 2003 archive, which is the closest version available from the date the email was sent, shows a list of priorities for the “Shadow Commission on 9-11-2001” to investigate issues including government and security failures.
Edward Epstein, who died in 2024, was an investigative journalist and author known for his research on similarly high-profile topics like John F. Kennedy’s assassination, which is referenced in the “Who killed JFK?” tab on his website. He also had contacts with Jeffrey Epstein over the years. The New York Times reports they were not related.
Epstein accessed millions of school photos? FALSE
After the latest batch of Epstein files was released by the DOJ, creators started pointing to Epstein’s relationship with billionaire investor Leon Black to fuel rumors that Lifetouch — a company that takes millions of kids’ school photos — used those school photos as a “shopping catalog” for pedophiles. Some school districts actually started canceling picture day because of it.
Leon Black is the former CEO of Apollo Global Management, which acquired Lifetouch’s parent company Shutterfly in 2019.
Lifetouch Group CEO Ken Murphy issued a statement saying that the images of school photos Lifetouch takes are “safeguarded for families and schools, only, with no exceptions. Lifetouch does not — and has never provided — images to any third party.”
Furthermore, Murphy said that neither Apollo Global Management nor its funds are involved in operations at Lifetouch, and no one employed by Apollo has had access to any images.
Epstein got Kuru disease from cannibalism? FALSE
Another outlandish theory circulating on social media is the claim that Epstein was a cannibal and that videos in the files prove he got Kuru disease because of it.
The main piece of evidence people highlight to support this theory are two videos in which you can see that parts of Epstein’s face are swollen.
While these videos of Epstein are real files released by the DOJ, there is no evidence to support the conclusion that his physical symptoms here are a result of Kuru disease.
Kuru disease is fatally transmitted through ritualistic cannibalism, with death occurring within one to two years of the onset of symptoms, according to the NIH.
Users have shared an email excerpt where Epstein says, “not food —people.” A separate document shows the complete context of the email chain where Epstein was speaking figuratively, referring to the difficult people he had to deal with.
Lastly, this claim has been repeated in multiple TikTok videos that include AI-generated audio and follow the same script — in some cases, stealing the likenesses and voices of actual creators to repeat it. When you see videos with the exact same script word-for-word, that could either mean that one creator is simply ripping off another. Or it can be a sign of AI.
Either way, there’s simply no evidence to suggest that there’s any truth to this theory.
“They ate humans” video tied to Epstein? FALSE
An old video of a woman shouting in Spanish has been circulating online alongside claims that it shows a Mexican model who supposedly fled one of Epstein’s parties, screaming that Epstein and his guests were eating people.
The footage is actually from an incident that happened in Monterrey, Mexico, in August 2009, according to coverage by Spanish news outlet Info7. The video shows a woman, identified as Gabriela Rico Jimenez, shouting outside a hotel: “They ate humans.” Info7 posted a Facebook video on Feb. 6 revisiting their past coverage of the woman.
While the incident did happen outside a hotel in Monterrey, the woman does not mention Epstein’s name in the footage and there’s no evidence the video is related to Epstein.
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