Social media has been buzzing about Jeffrey Epstein after the US Department of Justice recently released more than 3 million pages of documents, 180,000 images and 2,000 videos related to the case. The release also fueled online conspiracy theories, including unsubstantiated claims that a convicted child sex offender faked his death and is still alive.
However, official records state that Jeffrey Epstein was found hanged in his prison cell in August 2019 and his death was ruled a suicide.
Amid renewed speculation, a photo purportedly of Epstein walking through the streets of Israel has gone viral.
(Livemint could not independently verify the authenticity of the post)
Viral photo
The image, which was posted on X, shows a man – said to look like Epstein – wearing sunglasses with long hair and a beard, captured in side profile. It was widely shared online, with users questioning whether the person in the photo was Epstein.
One person wrote: “Is pedophile Jeffrey Epstein still alive?”. Another user X asked: “Is it possible that Epstein is in witness protection and very much alive?”.
Netizens flag AI watermark
Amidst all the speculation, several netizens claimed that the photo was created by AI.
One user on X shared a larger version of the image, which appeared to carry a watermark associated with Google’s Gemini AI tool. “This image going around is fake and created by AI,” the user wrote.
Another person wrote: “There’s an AI watermark in the bottom corner.”
Grok weighs himself
Some netizens further questioned the AI chatbot Groka if the image was real.
“The image appears to be AI-generated. Key indicators include features not matching Epstein’s known appearance (eg long hair and beard), a reported AI watermark in the full version, and no reverse image matches or verified sources confirming that it is real. Epstein died in 2019, so any ‘sighting’ is unlikely,” Grok said in his response.
Which names appeared in the Epstein files?
The Epstein files describe how Epstein was connected to many powerful figures. Being named in the records does not constitute a crime, but the associations have raised questions.
High profile names appear in files. US President Donald Trump is often mentioned. Bill Clinton appears in photos from decades past. The images also show Hollywood figures such as Kevin Spacey and Woody Allen.
Business leaders Bill Gates and Elon Musk chat with Epstein about meetings or travel. Both denied involvement in his crimes.
Both Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify in the House of Representatives’ investigation into Epstein.
