New Delhi: Jeffrey Epstein once proposed a reward to disprove an alleged accusation involving renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, a report said. The latest finding comes as part of a large trove of documents released due to a lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein accuser, against Ghislaine Maxwell, an accomplice of Epstein.
In a 2015 email, Epstein reportedly suggested to Maxwell that she could issue a reward to anyone who could disprove Giuffre’s allegations. Specifically, Epstein mentioned a purported claim that Hawking had participated in an orgy on Epstein’s private island in the Virgin Islands. It’s important to note that there are no specific allegations directly from Giuffre regarding Hawking, and Hawking has never been charged with any sexual misconduct.
Hawking did visit Epstein’s private Caribbean island as part of a science conference trip to St Thomas in March 2006, shortly before Epstein faced his first charges. Photos from the event show Hawking participating in activities on Epstein’s island. However, the newly revealed email did not contain any evidence to substantiate the claim against Hawking.
The same email also referred to a separate allegation involving former President Bill Clinton, who Epstein claimed was falsely accused. ABC News reported that a New York federal judge ordered the unsealing of these documents in December.
Johanna Sjoberg, an Epstein accuser, testified in the documents that Clinton “likes them young,” referring to girls. However, Clinton has not objected to the unsealing of the documents, and his spokesperson emphasised that he has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Virginia Giuffre has accused Epstein of trafficking her and forcing her to have sex with Prince Andrew, King Charles III’s younger brother, on three occasions when she was 17. In a 2022 statement following an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre, Prince Andrew’s lawyers stated his intention to make a substantial donation to Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights.
Ghislaine Maxwell, for her role in the sex trafficking scheme, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2022. Epstein, the disgraced financier, died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.