Stephen Hawking pictured in Epstein files; family clarifies context of photo

Melbourne, February 26: A photo of the late world-renowned British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has resurfaced in the latest tranche of documents released in the Epstein files, prompting widespread online discussion.

The image shows a smiling Professor Hawking reclining on a sun lounger on what appears to be a tropical island, holding a red cocktail, with two bikini-clad women standing beside him. Although the photo had circulated online in the past, it was included in newly released documents made public by former US President Donald Trump and the US Department of Justice (DOJ).

Professor Hawking, who lived with motor neurone disease and died in 2018 aged 76, was married twice and had three children. In a statement to the Daily Mail, his family clarified that the women in the photograph were not random individuals but his established carers. The family said the photo was taken in 2006 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on the Caribbean island of St Thomas, after Professor Hawking had delivered a speech.

Professor Hawking’s name appears more than 250 times in the latest batch of Epstein-related documents released by the DOJ. However, being mentioned in the files does not imply any wrongdoing.

St Thomas, part of the US Virgin Islands, is located close to Little St James, the private island owned by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. According to The Sun, Professor Hawking visited the US Virgin Islands in March 2006 with a group of 21 scientists to attend a conference that was funded by Epstein.

Before the “Energy of Empty Space That Isn’t Zero” event, Professor Hawking was seen in two other images taken on Little St James. One showed him attending a barbecue with a group of people, while another showed him being taken on a tour of the island’s seabed inside a submarine. Reports said Epstein had modified the underwater vessel to accommodate Professor Hawking’s wheelchair, allowing him to go underwater despite his physical condition.

The nature of the relationship between Professor Hawking and Epstein before and after the documented trip remains unclear, and the two were not pictured together at any point in the available images.

Professor Hawking’s name appears more than 250 times in the latest batch of Epstein-related documents released by the DOJ. However, being mentioned in the files does not imply any wrongdoing.