Stephen Hawking's family responds after photo with bikini-clad women surfaces in Epstein files

The family of renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has issued a statement clarifying a photograph of him that resurfaced in court documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein, Times of India reported.

The image, taken in 2006 at a hotel in St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, shows Hawking smiling while seated between two women wearing bikinis. The photograph was included in a large batch of materials released by the United States Department of Justice as part of the Epstein files, which contain millions of pages of documents, emails and other records related to Epstein's activities.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Hawking's family said the two women in the viral image were his long-term carers from the United Kingdom. They stressed that the women were not strangers and had no connection to any wrongdoing.

Hawking, who died in March 2018 at the age of 76, had travelled to the Caribbean in 2006 to attend a science symposium titled "Energy of Empty Space That Isn't Zero." He delivered a talk on quantum cosmology and participated in related academic events.

Reports indicate that the visit included events in St Thomas and a trip to Epstein's private island, Little Saint James. However, no publicly released documents show Hawking and Epstein together.

According to the report, the family also highlighted that Hawking lived with motor neurone disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, for more than five decades. The condition left him paralysed and reliant on round-the-clock medical care, including the use of a ventilator, voice synthesiser and wheelchair.

Rejecting speculation, the family said any insinuation of inappropriate conduct was wrong and unfounded.

Hawking's name appears multiple times in the released documents, largely in connection with academic work and participation in scientific events. There is no indication in the files that he engaged in illegal activity.