The most viral Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theories, debunked
You can't go on social media these days without being served outlandish conspiracy theories about the Epstein files. The posts have racked up millions of views. But in the age of AI, it can be hard to parse out what's real from what isn't.
So we worked with our CBS News Confirmed team to understand what, if anything, underpins the most viral conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and their supposed ties to some of the biggest news stories in American history. Here's what we found.
Epstein alive and living in Israel? FALSE
You may have seen photos circulating on social media that purport to show Epstein walking around Tel Aviv, flanked by bodyguards. When investigated, though, we found these photos show obvious marks of being produced through AI.
For example, this photo posted on Reddit on Feb. 1 shows a Gemini AI watermark on the bottom right corner, and one of the signs in the background reads "Haangus Ev.", which is not a real street name.
Next, some users were pointing to Fortnite as further evidence to back this theory. The argument there was that Epstein's Fortnite username had newly become active again in Israel.
But this, too, is false. So let's talk about how it came about.
In the files, there are movie and subscription receipts sent to Epstein's YouTube account "littlestjeff1," which is registered under his email "jeevacation@gmail.com."
There is also an email that references a $25.95 charge for VBucks, the currency used on Fortnite. The VBucks email, however, makes no reference of a username, and the sender and recipient are redacted.
Social media users are simply making the assumption that Epstein's username on YouTube would be the same username he'd use on Fortnite. And they're making the assumption that Epstein had a Fortnite account at all, when we actually don't know who the sender and recipient of that email were.
There is a profile for a Fortnite user named "littlestjeff1. And that user appeared to be active as recently as 2025, which is after Jeffrey Epstein's death. When all of the speculation around this account being proof that Epstein was still alive started swirl on social, that profile suddenly went private in February, which only added fuel to the flames.
But Fortnite has now come out and said that an existing account owner simply changed their username to "littlestjeff1" after the final batch of Epstein files were released and Epstein's YouTube name was revealed. And Fortnite confirmed that they have no record of Epstein's email addresses existing in their account system.
The Free Press: WATCH: The Epstein Tapes, Part II: The Eye of the Law
Then, there are the photos that the Metropolitan Correctional Center released as evidence after Epstein's death. Many people on social media are now pulling up these images, next to images of Jeffrey Epstein in life, pointing out disparities in various facial features, and using those disparities as proof that he isn't actually dead.
CBS News reviewed images of Epstein from 2004 to 2019. And yes, it's true that some of the facial features do look different. But after death, changes can occur in a face due to swelling, according to research published by the NIH. Bacteria break down tissues and produce gases that contribute to the body's decomposition process.
And many of Epstein's distinct facial features are still there — like his curly gray hair, dark bushy eyebrows, deep-set smile lines, a line across the chin, a similarly shaped nostril. There is a distinct indent between his eyebrows that is seen throughout the years, as well as wrinkles and bags under his eyes. Forensic scientists have conducted research that suggests facial creases may be resilient enough to changes caused by bloating after death and can be used for identification purposes.
These images of Epstein after his death show similarities to images of him from a suicide attempt a month prior, and also images of him in 2004, 2013 and 2017.
The New York City Chief Medical Examiner ruled in August 2019 that Epstein's cause of death was a suicide by hanging. A forensic pathologist, who was hired by Epstein's brother to investigate the death and was present during Epstein's autopsy, said the fingerprints on the body found in Epstein's cell match those that were taken of Epstein during his 2006 arrest in Florida, "60 Minutes" reported.
Epstein linked to JonBenet Ramsey? FALSE
Shortly after the latest batch of Epstein files was released by the U.S. Department of Justice, social media users started circulating this photo from Epstein's Manhattan townhouse. It shows a little girl on Epstein's shoulders, wearing a jumper similar to one worn in a well-known photo of JonBenet Ramsey.
Yes, the two items are similar, but the fact remains that it's a generic piece of clothing which would have been worn by many children. It can't be held up as conclusive evidence of any ties between Epstein, his sex trafficking of minors, and the 1996 death of JonBenet at her family's home in Boulder, Colorado.
For what it's worth, JonBenet's father, John Ramsey, also recently responded to the viral conspiracy theory, telling TMZ there is "absolutely no truth to it."
Epstein, Maxwell linked to Madeleine McCann? FALSE
Just as the story of JonBenet has fascinated the masses for years, so has the story of Madeleine McCann, a young British girl who went missing at the age of 3 while on vacation with her parents in Portugal in 2007.
Now, there are a number of viral videos on TikTok and Instagram highlighting the resemblance between a person of interest seen in a composite sketch and Maxwell.
That sketch of a person of interest is real. Private detectives working for McCann's parents released a sketch on Aug. 6, 2009, showing a woman they believed may have information about their child's disappearance. The sketch depicts a woman who was seen by two British men in Barcelona three days after McCann went missing on May 3.
But a photo of Maxwell from May 2007, the month McCann disappeared, shows Maxwell had longer hair than the sketch. And a review of several other photos of Maxwell throughout 2007 shows her hairstyle remained consistently longer than the sketch.
Then there's something else in the files that creators are pointing to as further evidence of this theory. A U.K. resident submitted an online tip to the FBI regarding an alleged sighting of Maxwell with McCann in September 2009. And yes, that is really in the files. But it's a tip, not a confirmed sighting. The DOJ has noted that the released files "may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos, as everything that was sent to the FBI by the public was included…"
Lastly, people are sharing this surveillance footage purporting to show a woman walking with McCann down a street shortly after her disappearance. In one angle, the woman appears to be wearing a head covering. At other times, she appears to resemble Ghislaine Maxwell. While the video is real, there is no concrete evidence that it shows either Maxwell or McCann.
So, the CBS News Confirmed team deems this theory false as well.
A lookalike swapped for Ghislaine Maxwell? FALSE
After Ghislaine Maxwell's deposition in February, people started pointing to perceived discrepancies in her facial features and voice to support a conspiracy theory that the woman we saw in the deposition was not, in fact, Ghislaine Maxwell, but a lookalike that had been swapped in for her.
Comparing images of Maxwell from 2015, 2016 and 2020 to the 2026 deposition footage, CBS News identified numerous similarities in her facial features. Photos throughout the years show Maxwell's dark thin eyebrows, slightly protruding ears and thin lips that have a distinct shape when at rest. Maxwell's hair also has a rounded shape with a defined indent in the 2026 deposition and also in images of her from 2015.
Some users claimed Maxwell's voice sounded different in her 2026 deposition when compared to other videos of her speaking. Videos released in the DOJ files show she spoke with a softer tone in clips that appear to be from depositions in 2015 and 2016.
Maxwell has been jailed since her July 2020 arrest. She was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Her attorney David Oscar Markus confirmed it was Maxwell who attended the deposition.
"Yes, that was Ghislaine in the House Oversight photo. Sigh. Jail is crushing and remember she was in torturous conditions — including sleep deprivation — back in New York. There are a lot of conspiracy theories out there but this one might be in the hall of fame," Markus told CBS News.
Maxwell's siblings have consistently posted about their sister's imprisonment. And the Federal Bureau of Prisons' inmates database lists Maxwell.
A few days later, a new AI-generated video of Ghislaine Maxwell started circulating — this one purporting to show her standing on a street in Canada, with gray hair but her recognizable facial features. When investigated, we determined that it's an AI face swap. And when reached for comment, the video's creator confirmed, saying: "Never meant for it to escalate the way it did! My intent was to make satire content but people reuploaded and interpreted the video without checking with me first, purposefully misleading people for engagement."
Epstein tortured girl with a magnifying glass? FALSE
Users have claimed that an old video clip shows Epstein torturing a young girl with a magnifying glass. They share a screenshot showing that a caller reported to the FBI a viral video of what he said appeared to be Epstein torturing a young woman.
But this video has been debunked. It's actually a clip from the adult film "Drea Morgan Stakeout Under Glass" starring Drea Morgan and a male actor, named Lew Rubens, who bears some resemblance to Epstein. But it is not, in fact, Epstein.
Epstein orchestrated COVID-19 pandemic? FALSE
Social media users have claimed an email with the subject line "Preparing for pandemics" is evidence that Epstein planned the COVID-19 pandemic. The email was forwarded to Epstein in 2015 and an attachment on the email indicates it was related to a meeting in Geneva about pandemics.
Users claiming that Epstein orchestrated the pandemic pointed to Epstein's ties to Bill Gates, who has been the subject of conspiracy theories related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gates Foundation — which works to reduce disease and poverty around the world — has been one of the World Health Organization's primary donors to and also funded BioNTech, which helped develop the first COVID-19 vaccine.
There is no evidence Epstein had prior knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Global discussions about pandemic preparedness are not abnormal and are not exclusively related to COVID-19.
We've even found posts alleging that Jeffrey Epstein's DNA was somehow in the COVID shots. But there's no evidence of that.
Social media users have purported that Epstein conspired with people who developed COVID vaccinations to utilize it as a "delivery system with some of his own DNA".
Some users who posted about the rumor later said they did not say it as fact.
Maxwell tied to 9/11 attacks? FALSE
Users are sharing emails sent to Maxwell days after Sept. 11, 2001, as evidence that she had ties to the attacks.
One email sent on Sept. 18, 2001, asks, "Where is the real pilot?" without further context. A separate document released by the DOJ shows additional emails sent on the same chain, which discusses Maxwell landing in Santa Monica, California, on a helicopter.
A second email from the author Edward Jay Epstein, dated January 2003, invites Maxwell to the "Shadow Commission on 9/11", which she declines. An August 2001 archive for the website "http://vvww.edwardjayepstein.com/pieces.htm" linked in the email shows what appears to be a portfolio website for Edward Epstein. A February 2003 archive, which is the closest version available from the date the email was sent, shows a list of priorities for the "Shadow Commission on 9-11-2001" to investigate issues including government and security failures.
Edward Epstein, who died in 2024, was an investigative journalist and author known for his research on similarly high-profile topics like John F. Kennedy's assassination, which is referenced in the "Who killed JFK?" tab on his website. He also had contacts with Jeffrey Epstein over the years. The New York Times reports they were not related.
Epstein accessed millions of school photos? FALSE
After the latest batch of Epstein files was released by the DOJ, creators started pointing to Epstein's relationship with billionaire investor Leon Black to fuel rumors that Lifetouch — a company that takes millions of kids' school photos — used those school photos as a "shopping catalog" for pedophiles. Some school districts actually started canceling picture day because of it.
Leon Black is the former CEO of Apollo Global Management, which acquired Lifetouch's parent company Shutterfly in 2019.
Lifetouch Group CEO Ken Murphy issued a statement saying that the images of school photos Lifetouch takes are "safeguarded for families and schools, only, with no exceptions. Lifetouch does not — and has never provided — images to any third party."
Furthermore, Murphy said that neither Apollo Global Management nor its funds are involved in operations at Lifetouch, and no one employed by Apollo has had access to any images.
Epstein got Kuru disease from cannibalism? FALSE
Another outlandish theory circulating on social media is the claim that Epstein was a cannibal and that videos in the files prove he got Kuru disease because of it.
The main piece of evidence people highlight to support this theory are two videos in which you can see that parts of Epstein's face are swollen.
While these videos of Epstein are real files released by the DOJ, there is no evidence to support the conclusion that his physical symptoms here are a result of Kuru disease.
Kuru disease is fatally transmitted through ritualistic cannibalism, with death occurring within one to two years of the onset of symptoms, according to the NIH.
Users have shared an email excerpt where Epstein says, "not food —people." A separate document shows the complete context of the email chain where Epstein was speaking figuratively, referring to the difficult people he had to deal with.
Lastly, this claim has been repeated in multiple TikTok videos that include AI-generated audio and follow the same script — in some cases, stealing the likenesses and voices of actual creators to repeat it. When you see videos with the exact same script word-for-word, that could either mean that one creator is simply ripping off another. Or it can be a sign of AI.
Either way, there's simply no evidence to suggest that there's any truth to this theory.
"They ate humans" video tied to Epstein? FALSE
An old video of a woman shouting in Spanish has been circulating online alongside claims that it shows a Mexican model who supposedly fled one of Epstein's parties, screaming that Epstein and his guests were eating people.
The footage is actually from an incident that happened in Monterrey, Mexico, in August 2009, according to coverage by Spanish news outlet Info7. The video shows a woman, identified as Gabriela Rico Jimenez, shouting outside a hotel: "They ate humans." Info7 posted a Facebook video on Feb. 6 revisiting their past coverage of the woman.
While the incident did happen outside a hotel in Monterrey, the woman does not mention Epstein's name in the footage and there's no evidence the video is related to Epstein.