On January 30th, 2026, over 3 million documents related to the Epstein files were released, with the Department of Justice (DOJ) stating it was “the final release”. The first publication of files, following the Epstein File Transparency Act, was largely redacted, and uncensored very few names. This incited public pressure for the DOJ to provide the transparency previously promised, leading to the most recent release. The documents provided have set social media spiraling.
Recent speculation has concurred that Epstein and his inner circle performed cannibalism. This theory stems from an anonymous 2019 tip to the FBI where a man reportedly viewed such acts toward infants on a yacht. There is also the theory of ‘pizzagate,’ started when 28-year-old Edgar Welch stormed into the Comet Ping Pong pizza joint in D.C., believing children were being held in the basement as a part of a sex trafficking ring run by Democrats. However, he found no children in the restaurant.
Pizzagate was revitalized on social media due to how often ‘pizza’ is mentioned in the Epstein Files, around 820 times. The repetitiveness, as well as messages such as “Let’s go for pizza and grape soda again. No one else can understand,” have prompted suspicion. The Pizzagate conspiracy theory is likely just that; however, the cannibalism allegations may not be.
When ‘jerky’ is searched in the files, alarming results appear. “He is working at a restaurant called Cannibal and cooks… wait for it… Beef Jerky and Steak!” reads one of the messages. “JE said he was gonna start eating regular food again, so he might be eating less jerky. That said, he has 6 bags of it in the downstairs freezer for his next trip,” says another. It is likely that if Epstein and his co-conspirators did commit cannibalism, they would use code words over email, which these exchanges seem to be suggesting.
This isn’t the only theory; there are suspicions that Epstein is still alive. On August 10th, 2019, the day of his suicide, Officer Roberto Grijalva made an alarming post on the anonymous imageboard website, 4chan. He worked at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, the facility where Epstein died, and noted the night before Epstein’s death that he wasn’t in his cell during the 4:15 count. A ‘count’ is a check to make sure every inmate is in their cell. Grijavla viewed Epstein cuffed in a wheelchair; not a single nurse recalled speaking to him. A ‘trip van’, a prisoner transport vehicle, showed up, according to Grijalva. He spotted a figure dressed in military gear inside of it. The vehicle didn’t sign in, and the correction center didn’t record the van’s license plate: it vanished with no record. The next morning, Epstein was found dead. “You guys, I am shaking right now, but I think they switched him out,” Grijalva posted.
There was already prior suspicion regarding the factuality of Epstein’s death. Two cameras were in the vicinity of his cell, one which recorded the stairwell leading up to his cell and part of his door. The footage from this camera was posted ‘raw’ by the DOJ in early July of 2025. However, metadata revealed that nearly 3 minutes were clipped out in between.
On another note, yearbook company Lifetouch is currently under scrutiny; the company shoots and touches up photos for students from K-12, and is used by thousands of schools throughout the U.S. and Canada. Former CEO of Apollo Global Management, the firm that owns the majority share of the parent company of Lifetouch, Leon Black was paid around $170,000 by Epstein. He stepped down from his role as CEO in 2021, around two months after his ties to Epstein were revealed. His recent appearances in the files have incited concern over the safety of children’s photos in the company. To note, only Leon Black is named in the files, not Lifetouch itself.
The files also offer more insight into the trafficking ring itself; several emails regarding expensive ‘wayfare furniture’ are thought to be code names for children that were sold. However, the files aren’t concrete evidence, at least according to those named: the FBI and the U.S. government. Save for Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein himself, no American citizen in the files has been charged. The U.S. particularly Attorney General Pam Bondi, director of the DOJ, is currently facing backlash over this from the American public. At a recent hearing, she engaged in a heated debate with Democrats over the lack of prosecutions regarding the Epstein files. The hearing resulted in several participants storming out and disapproval on all sides. Democrats are pushing for Bondi to resign from her position, and MAGA media is publicly criticizing the way she has conducted herself.
Overall, the recent Epstein file release has brought about much discussion and many questions worldwide. Events regarding the files are still unfolding.
