There is an ongoing online speculation about Jeffrey Epstein after newly released Justice Department files and photographs fueled claims that the convicted sex offender may have faked his death.
The latest round of conspiracy theories centers on an alleged tattoo on Epstein’s left upper arm. Social media users on X have circulated images they claim show Epstein with a tattoo around his bicep, comparing them with official photographs taken after his death in August 2019 in which no tattoo is visible.
“There is a photo of Epstein with a tattoo, and then a photo of him on the stretcher with the same arm exposed and no tattoo,” one user wrote. “Something ain’t right,” said another.
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Deposition preview
Adding to the tattoo claims is a preview excerpt from a 2017 Justice Department deposition involving Epstein. A snippet from a PDF shows a question referencing “the tattoo on your left arm of a barbed wire,” to which Epstein appears to respond, “Yes.”
However, the full deposition page is unavailable, and the excerpt does not provide details about the tattoo’s appearance or whether it was still present in later years.
Fact-checks dispute ‘fake death’ narrative
AI chatbot Grok addressed the claims, stating that official 2019 autopsy photographs authenticated by the New York City Medical Examiner show no tattoos on Epstein’s body.
Grok added that images circulating online purporting to show a barbed-wire tattoo display inconsistencies consistent with image manipulation or misattribution, citing analyses referenced by Reuters and FactCheck.org.
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No verified evidence from the DOJ files supports claims that Epstein is alive or that the body recovered in 2019 was not his.
The speculation follows the release of additional Epstein-related documents by the US Department of Justice.
Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019. Authorities ruled his death a suicide by hanging, a conclusion that has been repeatedly upheld.
Regarding the confusion about the tattoo, it was there on his arm, as per the photographs released in the files. Thomas Massie, the Republican lawmaker, who was among the most vocal proponents seeking the release of Epstein files weighed in on the matter.
“Other tat pics in the files,” he wrote, sharing images showing Epstein with the tattoo.
It is possible that Epstein had the tattoo removed, which Massie hints at as well. From the tranche of files, a document lists out an appointment for Epstein for tattoo removal.