After the U.S. Department of Justice released millions of new files related to deceased 𝒔𝒆𝒙 offender Jeffrey Epstein on Jan. 30, 2026, we investigated and debunked numerous images that social media users claimed were part of the newly disclosed materials.

Numerous fabricated images spread online in the days following the release, many of them appearing to show Epstein with prominent political figures in the United States and abroad. In several cases, social media posts alleged the visuals were pulled directly from the Justice Department’s files. We found no evidence that any of the fabricated images we reviewed were included in the Jan. 30 document release.

Some of the images originated as satire and were later reshared without their original context. Others were AI-generated or digitally altered. Several fabricated images that circulated in previous years also resurfaced amid renewed public attention on Epstein’s case.

The 𝒻𝒶𝓀𝑒 images often circulated alongside broader 𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝑔𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓸𝓃𝓈 tying various politicians to Epstein’s crimes. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal 𝒔𝒆𝒙 trafficking charges. Over the years, numerous public figures have acknowledged meeting or socializing with him, while often denying any knowledge of or involvement in his criminal conduct.