The December 2025 releases under the Epstein Files Transparency Act have resurfaced long-dormant allegations of hidden sex tapes involving prominent figures, despite those claims being retracted years ago. Thousands of pages from the U.S. Department of Justice—including photographs, emails, and investigative notes—contain no new evidence of such recordings, but references to older, discredited accusations have fueled renewed speculation and conspiracy theories.
The claims originate from Sarah Ransome, an Epstein accuser who, in 2016-2017 court filings tied to Virginia Giuffre’s defamation suit against Ghislaine Maxwell, alleged Epstein possessed compromising sex tapes of high-profile individuals, including Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, and Richard Branson. Ransome claimed to have seen the footage and even provided photos purporting to show young women on Epstein’s island. However, in October 2016, she emailed a journalist retracting the statements, citing family concerns. By 2019, in a New Yorker interview after settling her own claims, Ransome admitted inventing the tapes to protect herself and draw attention to Epstein’s abuses.
These retracted allegations reappeared in unsealed documents from earlier civil cases, now digitized and highlighted amid the DOJ’s broader disclosures. The 2025 batches—totaling over 130,000 pages so far, with millions more pending—focus on flight logs, photos of elites like Clinton and Branson in social settings, and investigative memos. Notably absent: any confirmation of blackmail videos. A July 2025 DOJ memo explicitly stated no credible evidence of widespread blackmail by Epstein exists.
Critics argue the releases amplify debunked rumors without context, especially as heavy redactions protect victims but obscure details. Victims’ advocates, including representatives for the late Virginia Giuffre (who died by suicide in 2025 and made no tape allegations), decry the sensationalism, noting it distracts from verified abuses. Partisan voices exploit the revival: some claim suppression of tapes, others dismiss it as recycled misinformation.
Epstein’s properties were raided multiple times, yielding CDs, DVDs, and hard drives—some labeled but not scanned in releases due to child exploitation material. Authorities have consistently found no operational blackmail scheme targeting elites. As more files emerge into 2026, the revived claims underscore a persistent challenge: distinguishing fact from fabrication in Epstein’s shadowed legacy, where proximity fuels suspicion but evidence remains elusive.
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