Jeffrey Epstein's Bizarre Joke About Stephen Hawking Resurfaces in Newly Released DOJ Emails

Jeffrey Epstein's correspondence with Andrew Farkas, a real estate mogul, has resurfaced in the latest batch of documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice, revealing a bizarre and disturbing joke about Stephen Hawking. In a 2015 email, Epstein wrote to Farkas: 'I kid you not, the local papers are suggesting that Stephen Hawking had sex with underage girls on the island.' Farkas replied with a dark quip: 'If it were true, you'd received the Nobel Prize for medical science.' The exchange, though seemingly lighthearted, underscores the unsettling intersection between Epstein's notorious history and one of the 20th century's most celebrated scientists.

The emails are part of a sprawling collection of nearly 2,000 messages shared between Epstein and Farkas, now made public as part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The documents include a photograph of Hawking, who died in 2018, seated between two bikini-clad women on Little Saint James—Epstein's private island, which he dubbed 'Paedophile Island' by locals. The image, released by the DOJ, shows Hawking grinning as he holds tropical drinks with the two women, whose faces are redacted. The location of the photo remains unclear, but it could have been taken during a 2006 conference hosted by Epstein on his 28-hectare island and nearby St Thomas.

That event drew 21 internationally renowned scientists, including Hawking, who was among the most prominent attendees. The conference, titled 'The Energy of Empty Space That Isn't Zero,' was advertised as a gathering for intellectual exchange, with guests invited to 'relax on the beach' and take a submarine tour of the seabed around Epstein's island. The financier had even modified a vessel to accommodate Hawking, who had never been underwater before. This episode, while seemingly benign on the surface, has now become a focal point for scrutiny, given Epstein's history of alleged sexual misconduct and the subsequent allegations against Hawking.

Epstein's ties to Hawking are further complicated by a 2015 email from the financier to Ghislaine Maxwell, his jailed associate, in which he proposed offering a reward to anyone who could disprove allegations that Hawking had participated in an 'underage orgy' on the island. The email, sent after Virginia Giuffre—another Epstein accuser—filed a civil claim, outlines Epstein's desperation to undermine her allegations. 'The strongest is the Clinton dinner, and the new version in the Virgin Islands that Stephen Hawking participated in an underage orgy,' Epstein wrote, revealing a calculated attempt to exploit Hawking's public stature to divert attention from his own crimes.

There is no direct evidence in the documents that Hawking engaged in any wrongdoing, but his presence in the Epstein files—referenced over 250 times—has raised questions about the extent of his association with the financier. In 2015, photographs emerged of Hawking attending a barbecue on Little Saint James, a few months before Epstein was charged for the first time with soliciting prostitution from a minor. His appearance in the files, however, is largely coincidental, with many mentions being repetitive or tangential to his actual involvement.

The FBI's involvement adds another layer of intrigue. In 2019, an unsubstantiated tip claimed that Epstein had taken Hawking to an 'all-male gay club' in 2011. The tipster, who described being 'near tears,' told agents that Epstein and Hawking had attended a 'bath house' with 'Russian liaisons.' The report notes that the caller had no idea who the attendees were at the time but recognized them later from the news. Such claims, while unverified, have further muddied the waters around Hawking's legacy and Epstein's influence.

Epstein, who died in custody in 2019, was known for surrounding himself with prominent scientists and leveraging his connections to bolster his public image. The DOJ's release of documents highlights how Epstein sought to exploit his relationship with Hawking, suggesting that a story about the physicist's submarine tour could have been used as a PR tool in 2018. 'If I were your PR person, I'd be preparing to release some photographs or video of Hawking going into the submarine in/near the USVI,' one email suggested, illustrating Epstein's calculated manipulation of his celebrity guests.

Hawking's own life, as revealed in a 2021 documentary, was marked by both personal and professional challenges. His daughter, Lucy, recounted the emotional toll of his marriage to Elaine Mason and the subsequent divorce, while his first wife, Jane, described the complexities of their household. Yet these personal struggles do not absolve Epstein of his actions, nor do they erase the disturbing allegations that have emerged from the files.

The DOJ has warned that the documents may include 'fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos,' emphasizing the need for caution in interpreting the material. Farkas, for his part, has expressed regret over his association with Epstein, though his political connections—ranging from Andrew Cuomo to Donald Trump—have raised questions about the broader implications of his involvement.

As the Epstein files continue to be dissected, the interplay between Hawking's scientific legacy and Epstein's criminal past remains a subject of intense scrutiny. The documents, while revealing, are only fragments of a larger puzzle—one that may never be fully solved. But they serve as a stark reminder of the power dynamics that allowed Epstein to operate in the shadows, even as he dined with the world's brightest minds.