Epstein Files: Who were those two bikini-clad women in Stephen Hawking's photo? Scientist's family reveals

Stephen Hawking, the theoretical physicist, was photographed smiling broadly beside two women holding what looked like colorful cocktails in an image obtained by the Daily Mail on Tuesday. Like many of the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the photo did not include any details about when or where it was taken.

The scientist's family alleged those bikini-clad women with him were Hawking's long-term carers, adding that he posed for the picture after delivering a speech on quantum cosmology at a scientific symposium.

Epstein was also present at the event. The Hawking Estate declined to disclose who took the photograph or explain how it became part of the Epstein files.

“Professor Hawking made some of the greatest contributions to physics in the 20th century while at the same time being the longest-known survivor of motor neurone disease, a debilitating condition which left him reliant on a ventilator, voice synthesiser, wheelchair and round-the-clock medical care. Any insinuation of inappropriate conduct on his part is wrong and far-fetched in the extreme,” the report quoted a spokesperson for the Hawking family as saying.

Representatives for the estate also did not respond to questions from the publication regarding Hawking’s friendship with Epstein or whether it was typical for his caregivers to assist him while dressed in swimsuits during social gatherings.

Hawking, who passed away in March 2018 at the age of 76 after living with motor neuron disease (ALS) for more than five decades, relied on continuous, around-the-clock care from a team of nurses for much of his adult life. Before the image was made public, officials from the Department of Justice redacted the women’s faces.

In a statement issued last month, the DOJ said reviewers were directed to redact information only to protect victims and their families, adding that prominent figures and politicians were not shielded.

A conference, organised by Epstein in March 2006, five months before the financier was first charged with soliciting prostitution, included Hawking and 20 other internationally recognised scientists. The event took place at the five-star Ritz-Carlton hotel in St. Thomas, where rooms cost about $1,600 per night, located near Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James.

Details about the gathering, titled The Energy of Empty Space That Isn’t Zero, were outlined in a post on the blog of the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation.

It noted that attendees had the opportunity to “meet, discuss, relax on the beach, and take a trip to the nearby private island retreat of the science philanthropist Jeffrey Epstein, who funded the event”.

Participants appeared to divide their time between St. Thomas and Little Saint James, where Epstein personally hosted them. Photographs that surfaced in 2015 showed Hawking in his wheelchair at a barbecue gathering. He was later taken on a submarine tour to explore the seabed surrounding Epstein’s island.