Hawking Epstein Files: Bikini Photo & Family Response
Family Defends Stephen Hawking After Photo Surfaces in Epstein Files
– The family of the late Professor Stephen Hawking has issued a statement responding to a photograph of him with two women in bikinis that emerged as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The family strongly refuted any suggestion of inappropriate conduct, characterizing such insinuations as “wrong and far-fetched in the extreme.”
The photograph, released by the U.S. Department of Justice, shows Hawking at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in the US Virgin Islands in 2006. He was there to deliver a lecture on quantum cosmology, according to a statement provided to the Mirror.
A spokesperson for the Hawking Family emphasized the extraordinary circumstances of Hawking’s life, noting his “greatest contributions to physics” alongside his decades-long battle with motor neurone disease. The debilitating condition left him reliant on a ventilator, voice synthesizer, wheelchair, and 24/7 medical care.
The family identified the women in the photograph as Hawking’s long-standing carers. Reports indicate Epstein had adapted an underwater vessel to accommodate Hawking’s wheelchair, allowing him a tour of the island’s seabed.
Hawking was among a group of 24 distinguished scientists who participated in a conference organized by Epstein on Little St James island and St Thomas in 2006. Nobel laureate Phillip Peebles, who attended the same conference, recalled that a group of young women appeared at the symposium without explanation. He now believes these women were likely victims of Epstein.
Peebles described the meeting as a serious academic gathering, presented as being supported by a wealthy benefactor interested in establishing an “institute for advanced study” in the Virgin Islands. He stated, “It was a good one,” referring to the conference itself.
The emergence of the photograph is part of a larger release of documents related to Epstein, in which Hawking’s name appears over 250 times. The files have also drawn attention to the involvement of other high-profile figures, including supermodel Naomi Campbell, who reportedly sent Epstein birthday invitations.
Hawking passed away in 2018 at the age of 76, after living with motor neurone disease for more than 50 years. The family’s statement underscores the challenges he faced throughout his life and seeks to protect his legacy from unfounded allegations.