Another year, another wave of Jeffrey Epstein headlines.
As you’ve no doubt seen bubbling up across social media again in recent days, the names of multiple individuals associated with the late sex offender are set to be publicly revealed following a court order from a federal judge. This is merely the latest development in the years-long coverage surrounding Epstein, whose 2019 jail cell death was ruled a suicide.
The death of Epstein, who was being held pending a trial on charges including sex trafficking at the time, was followed by extensive reporting on related legal cases and the impact of widespread misinformation. To the latter point, a photo went viral just last year that purported to show Epstein posing with the Island Boys duo as children. However, the photo was quickly determined to be a fake.
For a misinformation-free look at what's to come, keep reading.
What's happening?
More than 150 people—some already familiar to the general public, some not—are set to be identified via unsealed court documents.
Why is it happening?
In December of last year, U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska, of New York, ordered the unsealing of court documents linked to a lawsuit involving Ghislaine Maxwell. The suit in question was filed in 2015 by Virginia Giuffre and settled in 2017, though the terms of that settlement were not immediately made public.
In the order, per Axios, it’s mentioned that multiple individuals set to be named "did not raise any objection" to the imminent unsealing. Also pointed out is that some names, including those of victims who were minors at the time of their alleged abuse, will still be protected despite the unsealing.
Who's expected to be mentioned?
The two biggest names expected to make an appearance are two-term POTUS Bill Clinton and British royal family member Prince Andrew. Last month, ABC News reported that Clinton was the "Doe 36" mentioned in multiple docs, though the ex-president has not been accused of a crime. While Clinton has been reported to have traveled via Epstein’s plane, he was not shown in previously released flight logs to have visited Epstein’s oft-mentioned island.
In the December-signed order, Doe 36's "association with Epstein and Maxwell" is described as having already been "widely reported in the media." Additionally, Doe 36's name "came up at Maxwell's public criminal trial."
Prince Andrew, notably, has denied trafficking-related allegations against him from Giuffre. In 2022, he settled Giuffre's assault case.
Former POTUS Donald Trump, meanwhile, has also been mentioned among Epstein coverage, including by way of comments he previously gave to media outlets and archival photos. However, according to USA Today, Trump is not believed to be named in the newly unsealed docs.
A Wall Street Journal investigation last year into Epstein's calendar listings and personal emails included mentions of Bill Gates and Woody Allen, among others. Neither were accused of a crime in connection with the larger Epstein case; it wasn't immediately clear whether either would be mentioned in the latest docs.
