'It’s a joke to them': Onlookers stunned as DOJ releases debunked Epstein video

The internet was left stunned Monday night after journalists uncovered a 12-second video buried within the Justice Department’s release of Jeffrey Epstein files that appears to show the disgraced financier in his New York jail cell attempting to hang himself.

The video has been thoroughly debunked as a fake.

“Buried in the Epstein files released by the DOJ is a 12 second video from 4:29 am on the day Jeffrey Epstein died,” reads a social media post from Drop Site News, which uncovered the video alongside entrepreneur Luke Igel and software engineer Riley Walz. “The highly unusual video could be a CGI recreation.”

The video was, in fact, discovered to have been created using computer-generated imagery, and was first uploaded to the internet on the video platform YouTube in October of 2020. As to why the DOJ had the video in its possession and uploaded it online as part of its periodic release of files on Epstein, however, is unknown.

“This is how seriously the DOJ is taking the Epstein Files release,” wrote independent journalist Tara Palmeri, who hosts “The Tara Palmeri Show” podcast. “It's a joke to them.”

The video depicts what appears to be Epstein in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City, New York, near the ground and on his knees attempting to strangle himself using an orange inmate uniform. Other inmate uniforms can be seen strewn across the floor, and in a similar manner as depicted in legitimate photographs of Epstein’s cell the morning of his death. The cell layout in the debunked video is also identical to that of Epstein’s real cell.

The DOJ has since removed the video after its discovery, with the link now directing users to a page that reads “AccessDenied.”

“Nothing about this video makes sense and it’s unclear why it is included in the DOJ files,” wrote Drop Site News founder Ryan Grim in a social media post on X Monday.

Epstein died while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in 2019, and his death was officially ruled a suicide. However, several oddities that occurred during the night of his death have fueled speculation among critics, including from Epstein’s own brother, who’s said Epstein’s death “looks more like a homicide.”