Jeffrey Epstein court documents updates — Files show financier ordered witness bribe to dispute Hawking ‘orgy’ claim
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JEFFREY Epstein urged Ghislaine Maxwell to offer bribes to those who could "disprove" an allegation that Stephen Hawking took part in an "underage orgy", according to bombshell court documents claim.
The internationally renowned physicist was pictured at a barbecue on Little St James, often referred to as Epstein's "Paedo Island".
He was part of a group of 21 scientists attending a conference in March 2006, which Epstein had funded.
In the message, Epstein suggested Prince Andrew accuser Giuffre had made claims about the British scientist and former US President Bill Clinton.
The email read: "You can issue a reward to any of Virginia's friends, acquaints, family that come forward and help prove her allegations are false.
“The strongest is the Clinton dinner, and the new version in the Virgin Islands that Stephen Hawking participated in an underage orgy."
Read our live blog for the latest updates as the documents are unsealed...
Michael Jackson named in connection to 'sex slave' whistleblower
The order for the bombshell files to be released was given by New York judge Loretta Preska in relation to the 2015 defamation case brought by Virginia Roberts Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell.
The Sun has seen the first set of released court files with more expected to be released in the coming days.
The bombshell court documents reveal details of an interview Ms Sjoberg, 42, had with lawyers on May 18, 2016.
When asked whether she had “met anybody famous” while with Epstein, she said: “I met Michael Jackson.”
Ms Sjoberg was questioned about where she met the Billie Jean singer and told lawyers: “At his house in Palm Beach. At Jeffrey’s house in Palm Beach.”
Names of alleged co-conspirators continued to be made public
Names of Epstein and Maxwell’s victims, associates and alleged co-conspirators continued to be made public as part of the document dump, according to Preska’s order.
Only Epstein and Maxwell have been charged over the alleged sexual abuse of dozens of young girls in his Upper East Side townhouse and his waterfront mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, between 2002 and 2005.
Giuffre’s defamation lawsuit in 2015 was settled – but some of those involved in the trial were identified in the ruling through links to interviews they had previously given.
Judge Preska cited this as a reason for why their identities should not remain sealed.
She ruled there was no legal justification for continuing to conceal the names of more than 150 “John and Jane Does” mentioned in the court filings relating to Epstein.
List of celebrities who flew on Epstein's private jet according to pilot
Jeffrey Epstein‘s former pilot testified in court that several famous people , called the “Lolita Express.”
The pilot testified that he never witnessed any sexual activity aboard the plane or the presence of any underage girls without their parents.
The celebrities he named include:
- Donald Trump
- Prince Andrew
- Ghislaine Maxwell
- Bill Clinton
- Kevin Spacey
- Naomi Campbell
- Chris Tucker
- Alan Dershowitz
Who is Virginia Roberts Giuffre?
Virginia Roberts Giuffre made claims against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, the ex-lover and partner of Jeffrey Epstein.
Giuffre has alleged in court docs that she was procured by Maxwell, the daughter of disgraced tycoon Robert Maxwell, as a teenage “sex slave” for Epstein.
She released a manuscript just hours before Epstein’s death, which added to more than 2,000 documents of a lawsuit pending against the former financier and his pals.
Andrew ‘does have knowledge of Epstein’s sex crimes’
Prince Andrew “does have knowledge” of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes, bombshell documents have claimed.
Andrew is named in a list of potential witnesses in a filed by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims.
Giuffre’s counsel submitted the list as part of her defamation suit against Ghislaine Maxwell.
The listing for Andrew claims that he “has knowledge of Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking conduct and interaction with underage minors, including Virginia Giuffre”.
In a harrowing deposition, an anonymous victim told how “something horrible” happened to her at Epstein’s house.
She added that “Jeffrey took my clothes off without my consent the first time I met him” – and that she was intimidated by people working for Epstein after going to the police.
Michael Jackson visited Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion & met sex slave Johanna Sjoberg, docs claim
The order for the bombshell files to be released was given by New York judge Loretta Preska in relation to the 2015 defamation case brought by Virginia Roberts Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell.
The Sun has seen the first set of released court files with more expected to be released in the coming days.
The bombshell court documents reveal details of an interview Ms Sjoberg, 42, had with lawyers on May 18, 2016.
When asked whether she had “met anybody famous” while with Epstein, she said: “I met Michael Jackson.”
Ms Sjoberg was questioned about where she met the Billie Jean singer and told lawyers: “At his house in Palm Beach. At Jeffrey’s house in Palm Beach.”
Epstein never married
Jeffrey Epstein was never married but did have several high-profile girlfriends.
The two most high-profile long-term girlfriends were Eva Andersson-Dubin and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Andersson-Dubin and Epstein were romantically linked for an 11-year period in the 1980s.
Maxwell was arrested on July 2, 2020, by the FBI for her alleged “unspeakable” part in delivering young girls into the hands of Epstein.
Latest as Jeffery Epstein documents released
- Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Stephen Hawking and Michael Jackson are among those named in unsealed Jeffrey Epstein court documents
- Prince Andrew had ‘orgy’ on Epstein’s ‘Paedo Island’ & victim was told ‘give him whatever he wants’, docs claim
- David Copperfield, Kevin Spacey and Leonardo DiCaprio are also included
- Ghislaine Maxwell said Andrew DID visit Epstein’s “paedo island”
- She whinged questions about Prince Andrew go “on and on” in an email
- Ghislaine said under oath that she “did not recall” being in London with Virginia Giuffre and Andrew
- And Andrew’s grope accuser Johanna Sjoberg testified that Epstein told her Clinton “likes them young” when talking about girls
More on the unsealed court docs
The U.S. Sun is reaching out to Clinton’s team for comment, but the former president has previously stated that he knew nothing about Epstein’s crimes.
Other names mentioned in the documents include former President Donald Trump, but he is not affiliated with any wrongdoing.
Alan Dershowitz, the lawyer responsible for getting Epstein off on a sweetheart deal when he was found guilty of child prostitution in 2008, was mentioned over 130 times, per .
Names of Epstein and Maxwell’s victims, associates and alleged co-conspirators will continue to be made public as part of the document dump, according to Preska’s order.
The list is expected to include names of people with close ties to Epstein such as Microsoft founder Bill Gates and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
The new files will include emails, legal documents, depositions and more relating to Epstein and Maxwell.
‘Clinton likes them young’
On Wednesday, a slew of documents relating to the case were released one month after Southern District of New York Judge Loretta Preskw ordered they be made public.
Over 170 people are to be named with former president Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew of the British royal family showing up several times.
If someone is mentioned in the documents it does not mean they are accused of committing a crime.
Inside the 943 pages of documents was the transcript of whistleblower Johanna Sjoberg‘s deposition who has made several allegations of sexual misconduct against Epstein.
According to the docs, Sjoberg testified in court that Epstein allegedly told her that Clinton “likes them young,” while talking about girls.
The documents also reveal Ghislaine denied that Clinton ever visited Epstein’s island.
Who is Virginia Roberts Giuffre?
Virginia Roberts Giuffre made claims against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, the ex-lover and partner of Jeffrey Epstein.
Giuffre has alleged in court docs that she was procured by Maxwell, the daughter of disgraced tycoon Robert Maxwell, as a teenage “sex slave” for Epstein.
She released a manuscript just hours before Epstein’s death, which added to more than 2,000 documents of a lawsuit pending against the former financier and his pals.
Email from Ghislaine Maxwell unsealed, continued
But she said Clinton did have a meal on Epstein’s plane – and that she knew the former US President’s longtime personal aide Doug Band, who claims Clinton visited the island.
Asked if she had a relationship with Band, Maxwell said: “We are talking about adult consensual relationships, it’s off the record.”
Names of Epstein and Maxwell’s victims, associates, and alleged co-conspirators will continue to be made public as part of the document dump, according to Preska’s order.
Email from Ghislaine Maxwell unsealed
The first documents to emerge include an email sent by Ghislaine Maxwell.
In the email, Maxwell writes: “I can’t even see what life after press hell even looks like.
“Statements that don’t address all just lead to more questions. What is my relationship to Clinton? Andrew? On and on.”
Investor Glenn Dubin is the first name to appear, in a transcript of a taped deposition with .
Maxwell was asked if Epstein accuser Johanna Sjoberg had ever been asked to massage Dubin.
In her deposition, Maxwell also denied that Bill Clinton ever visited Epstein’s island.
More on Epstein’s autopsy findings
Jeffrey Epstein‘s autopsy revealed that the financier had multiple broken neck bones, often consistent with strangulation.
Through his autopsy, Epstein was found to have broken his hyoid bone, which is near the Adam’s apple in men, according to the .
Although hyoid breaks can occur during a hanging, experts told the paper the fracture is more common in strangulation victims.
Epstein’s manner of death revealed
Law enforcement officials confirmed on August 10, 2019, that Jeffrey Epstein had taken his own life at Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, which is where he had been held without bail pending trial on child sex-trafficking charges.
Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson announced on August 16, 2019 that the death was a “suicide.”
She said she made the determination “after careful review of all investigative information, including complete autopsy findings.”
Maxwell to Epstein's defense after his arrest
In 1992, Maxwell had a romantic relationship with American financier Jeffrey Epstein and remained closely associated with him up until his death on August 10 of 2019.
After Epstein was arrested for sexually abusing minors, Maxwell claimed he was a “kind generous loving man”.
She stated he had a “keen sense of humor and ready smile” as she tried to get charges against him dropped in Palm Beach.
Ghislaine is quoted as saying in a document obtained by The Sun: “My experience of Jeffrey, is of a thoughtful, kind generous loving man, with a keen sense of humor and a ready smile – a man of principles and values and a man of his word.”
Maxwell was convicted in a separate trial of luring children into the clutches of her former boyfriend and even taking part in some of the abuse – claims she has strongly denied.
Ghislaine Maxwell‘s ‘closet filled with sex toys & videotapes’, part three
“How would you describe sex toys?” McCawley asked, to which Maxwell answered, “I wouldn’t describe sex toys.”
Alessi also testified in 2021 that he first met Maxwell in 1991.
He told a jury during Maxwell's criminal trial: "She right away took over.
"And right away she mentioned to me she was going to be the lady of the house."
He testified then that he was Epstein's house manager from roughly 1991 to 2002 and oversaw the staff as part of his job.
This involved allegedly communication with Maxwell on a "daily basis" as she passed down orders from Epstein to him.
Ghislaine Maxwell‘s ‘closet filled with sex toys & videotapes’, part two
In 2020, Maxwell was questioned over the same "basket of sex toys" by Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, as part of her criminal trial.
In the 465-page transcription of that deposition she is asked repeatedly: “Did you have a laundry basket of sex toys that you kept in the Palm Beach house?”
Maxwell’s lawyer raised several objections with McCawley repeatedly rephrasing the question.
“You have to define what are you talking about,” Maxwell, 58, answered at one point.
“A sex toy meaning a vibrator of some kind, sometimes they are called dildos, of that nature, anything like that?” the lawyer asked.
Maxwell replied: “I don’t recollect anything that would formally be a dildo, anything like that.”
Ghislaine Maxwell's ‘closet filled with sex toys & videotapes’
GHISLAINE Maxwell hid a basket of sex toys in her closet along with videos and a costume at Epstein's Palm Beach mansion, newly unsealed court documents claim.
The convicted paedophile's madam, who apparently dubbed herself "lady of the house", previously squirmed when questioned over the alleged basket of sex toys in 2020.
When asked if he ever found any vibrators, Alessi said yes and claimed Maxwell's closet held a basket full of them, along with costumes and videos.
"I'm not familiar -- not too familiar with the names, but they were big dildos, what they call the big rubber things like that (indicating).
"Ms. Maxwell had in her closet, she had, like, a laundry basket, one of those laundry basket that you put laundry in.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s convictions
The British socialite was found guilty of five of the six charges she was accused of.
In December 2021, the jury deemed her guilty of:
- Conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts
- Conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity
- Transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity
- Sex trafficking conspiracy
- sex trafficking of a minor
She was later sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Clinton 'had a meal' with Epstein but that is all
Epstein is claimed to have told one of his accusers that former US President Bill Clinton "likes them young" when talking about girls.
But the documents also reveal Maxwell denied that Clinton ever visited Epstein's island.
She said: "The allegation that Clinton had a meal on Jeffrey's island is 100% false," before adding "I'm sure he had a meal on Jeffrey's plane."
Maxwell also referenced Clinton and Prince Andrew in a frantic email sent in 2015, the same year Giuffre's lawsuit was filed, included in the docs.
In the email, Maxwell wrote: "I can't even see what life after press hell even looks like.
"Statements that don't address all just lead to more questions. What is my relationship to Clinton? Andrew? On and on."
Released documents have come with conspiracy theories
Jenny Rice, a professor of rhetoric at the University of Kentucky explained the mindset of conspiracy theorists.
"You can only believe the things that you can't see," she said to .
"The things that we are shown are deliberately produced and delivered to us and therefore are not trustworthy."
One conspiracy circulating is that the Iowa school shooting was a deepfake created to distract from the Epstein Documents.
Another conspiracy claims that the list is meant to distract from allegations of election fraud against Donald Trump.
Epstein conspiracy theories cross the political divide
Eric Oliver, a political science professor at the University of Chicago explained that theories surrounding Epstein range across the political spectrum.
"When we did surveys on the Epstein conspiracy theories, what's interesting about them is that they kind of cross the ideological spectrum," he said in an interview with .
"A lot of conspiracy theories tend to be located firmly on one side or another, and this one really, it's because he was so prolific in his social context and the pictures of him with Donald Trump and pictures of him with Bill Clinton."
Moreover, these conspiracies are likely here to stay.
"You know, conspiracy theories don't get to a point where they say, okay, mystery solved. Our work here is done. Because to a certain extent, you know, part of what draws in people to conspiracy theory is that it is unending," said Jenny Rice.
What to know about Epstein’s island, part two
There have been allegations surrounding claims that Bill Clinton visited the island.
However, Mr Clinton’s office has previously said the President knew “nothing about the terrible crimes” committed by Epstein on his island.
Epstein set about building an enormous stone mansion with cream-coloured walls and a bright turquoise roof surrounded by a maids’ quarters.
Years later, and on the other southwest edge of the island, he built a square-shaped blue and white building resembling a religious temple, topped with a gold dome.
Many have speculated that the child sex abuse Epstein has been accused of may have occurred in this secluded space.
What to know about Epstein’s island
Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island has become the center of a sex trafficking probe against him, amid claims underage girls were used as sex slaves and repeatedly abused inside a temple.
The billionaire bought the island of Little St James more than two decades ago – transforming it into a high-security private oasis, complete with a mansion and a bizarre blue and white gold-domed structure.
The island remained Epstein’s main residence but has been shrouded in mystery.
It’s high security, secluded location and locally-known moniker as “Paedophile Island” has given rise to more sinister theories about its use.
Neighbouring islander Kevin Goodrich, who operates boat charters from nearby St Thomas, said: “Everybody called it ‘Paedophile Island’ … It’s our dark corner.”