A newly released batch of documents from the US Department of Justice's Epstein files includes a photograph displaying the late physicist Stephen Hawking being seated between two women in bikinis.
They are seen holding tropical drinks. The picture is believed to date back to the year 2006 and was taken during a science symposium in the US Virgin Islands that was paid for by convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein.
{img}Hawking's loved ones were quick to chime in about the image that has been making the viral rounds on social media.
They referred to any suggestion of inappropriate behavior as being far-fetched and misleading. At the same time, they clarified how two women were his longtime caregivers and not his associates in any kind of criminal activity.
{img}He repeated how he lived with a debilitating motor neurone disease for decades and required around-the-clock care.
The picture was believed to have been taken with around 20 more scientists and included both academic discussions as well as various social activities. The news comes as Hawking's name appears hundreds of times across the released Epstein records, but no evidence linking him to the crimes has been found to date.