New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File
A short video clip that appeared to show Jeffrey Epstein attempting to commit suicide in his prison cell was included in a new release by the Department of Justice, but the clip is not genuine footage. It’s a fake recreation that nonetheless fooled TMZ and others following the story.
The DOJ posted an initial tranche of photos, documents, audio, and video files online last Friday, pursuant to the deadline set by a statute signed into law by President Donald Trump last month, after mounting pressure — including from his fellow Republicans — to release the files related to the deceased child sex predator.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche admitted that the Trump administration would miss Friday’s deadline to release the all of the files required by the new law, telling Fox & Friends host Lawrence Jones that the DOJ would “release several hundred thousand documents today” and would then “release more documents over the next couple of weeks.”
After vociferous criticism from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), who co-sponsored the bill to release th Epstein Files, other lawmakers, and the victims, the DOJ released additional files.
Among the new files was what appeared to be a surveillance video from inside Epstein’s prison cell, showing a man in an orange prison jumpsuit with something tied to the bed behind him and then around his neck.
TMZ was among several that shared the clip, labeling it as a “video from DOJ” that “appears to show Jeffrey Epstein attempting suicide.”
The below clip was posted on TMZ’s website along with a caption that read, “Video from U.S. Dept. of Justice appears to show Jeffrey Epstein attempting to commit suicide in his jail cell … and the footage is graphic.”
A screenshot of the TMZ website with the video clip:
fake epstein video
Screenshot via TMZ.
As astute observers soon pointed out, version of this video have circulated online for years, an apparent CGI animation of how Epstein may have killed himself according to the official report of his death.
One such example was posted on YouTube five years ago — a much clearer version than the one posted by TMZ:
It was also posted on X in November in a tweet sharing conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death.
Investigative journalist Jacqueline Sweet found the video attached to an email dated March 13, 2021, which was sent by a tipster who claimed there were other suicides being covered up by the DOJ and Bureau of Prisons.
But even that tipster was skeptical of the video’s authenticity, writing, “Is this real???”
Several reports claimed that the fake video originated on 4chan.
As of 6:30 pm ET, the video is still posted on the TMZ website without any comment or disclaimer indicating it is a computer recreation or otherwise fake.
The myriad issues created by the DOJ releasing this video without explaining its provenance or providing any context sparked a new wave of criticism for an agency already under fire for its handling of the Epstein Files thus far.
“It’s like the DOJ is inventing new types of Epstein conspiracy theories we haven’t even dreamt of before,” wrote Business Insider legal correspondent Jacob Shamsian.
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