A newly released photograph from documents made public by the United States Department of Justice shows the late British physicist Stephen Hawking alongside two women in bikinis, according to files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The image forms part of a large tranche of documents unsealed this month as part of ongoing disclosures related to Epstein’s associates and activities. No date or location is provided for the photograph, though several images in the broader release are believed to have been taken on Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Hawking, who died in 2018 aged 76, is known to have visited the island in March 2006 to attend a five-day scientific conference on gravity alongside other prominent researchers. At the time of the visit, Epstein had not been charged with any sexual offences.
Previously published photographs from that trip showed Hawking attending a barbecue and later participating in a submarine tour arranged by Epstein. The vessel had reportedly been modified to accommodate the physicist, who was living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a condition he had been diagnosed with at age 21.
Hawking’s name appears numerous times throughout the newly unsealed documents. However, there is no indication in the files that his inclusion implies wrongdoing. In one 2015 email attributed to Epstein and addressed to his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein discussed offering a reward to challenge an allegation that Hawking had taken part in an “underage orgy” in the Virgin Islands.
The allegation was referenced in correspondence but was not directly made by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who publicly accused other high-profile figures of misconduct. Hawking was never charged with any offence in connection with Epstein.
Epstein, who cultivated ties with academics and institutions, had donated substantial sums to universities and funded various scientific initiatives, often describing himself as a philanthropist focused on advancing science.
The latest document release continues to draw international attention as authorities and the public examine the scope of Epstein’s network and associations.
