Michael Jackson, other celebrities included in Epstein photo dump

The late “King of Pop” Michael Jackson appears in multiple photos released by the Department of Justice related to its investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

One photo featuring Jackson shows the “Beat It” singer standing alongside Epstein in front of a painting of woman lying topless on a beach.

Another shows Jackson with singer Diana Ross and former President Bill Clinton. Clinton has his hand on Jackson’s shoulder in the image while the pop icon stares off camera. The photo also includes a woman whose face is redacted.

There is no other context for the photos including when and where they were taken.

Jackson’s name was first connected to Epstein in documents released in January 2024; Jackson was mentioned during a deposition in the lawsuit against Epstein’s longtime confidant, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, though he was not accused of any wrongdoing.

Epstein, 66, died behind bars in 2019, while awaiting trial on federal charges of sex trafficking minors. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging.

Jackson died from an overdose-induced cardiac arrest in 2009 at the age of 50. The pop music superstar was investigated for possible child molestation between 1993 and 1994, and again between 2004 and 2005, according to the FBI. He was never charged with any crimes.

Little has been reported about Epstein’s relationship with Jackson. The disgraced financier was known to rub elbows with many highly influential figures, including President Donald Trump, filmmaker Woody Allen and billionaire businessman Leon Black. None of those individuals have been accused of involvement in Epstein’s wrongdoing.

A photo of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was also included in the DOJ’s file dump. The 82-year-old rock star is pictured dining with Clinton, Epstein and Maxwell. Jagger’s name was among the celebrities listed in a contact book already released by the Justice Department, but he has been accused of nothing nefarious involving Epstein.

Trump said before taking office in January that he’d promptly order the release of the federal files pertaining to the Epstein investigation, though the process has been met with numerous delays.

The DOJ was compelled by Congress in November to make the trove of documents available by Friday. While they promised a batch was coming, they said it would take several more weeks to roll out the full array of files. Democrats have threatened to take legal action, calling the delay a “violation of federal law.”

Multiple photographs show former President Bill Clinton

Many of the most discussed photos from the files show the former Democratic president. Clinton has acknowledged that he traveled on Epstein’s private jet but said through a spokesperson that he had no knowledge of the late financier’s crimes.

Some of the photos show Clinton on a private plane, including one with a woman seated next to him with her arm around him. Her face is redacted from the photo.

Another photo shows him in a pool with Maxwell, who has been convicted of luring young girls to Epstein so he could molest them, and with another person whose face is redacted. In addition to the one with Jackson, Ross and a woman whose face is redacted, another shows Clinton in a hot tub with a woman whose face is redacted. The Justice Department did not explain how those photos were related to the criminal investigation.

Nevertheless, senior White House aides quickly called attention to them on X.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, wrote “Oh my!” and added a shocked face emoji in response to the photo of Clinton in the hot tub.

Angel Ureña, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, said in an X post that “this isn’t about Bill Clinton” and accused the White House of trying to protect others.

“There are two types of people here,” he wrote. “The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We’re in the first.”

Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and the mere inclusion of someone’s name or images in files from the investigation does not imply otherwise.

Contributing: Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News; Associated Press