Did the Department of Justice database correctly render the contents of a Jan. 17, 2013 email to Jeffrey Epstein when it turned the email's words into "New Brazilian just arrived, sexy and cute, =9yo"? No, that's not true: The original email said "19yo". The = sign is one of several substitution errors that arise from optical character recognition scanning, PDF…

Does a viral image prove that the Epstein files discussed the beginning of World War III, scheduled to start on Feb. 8, 2026? No, that's not true: No such email could be located on the website of the Department of Justice, as of this writing. Lead Stories found a file that had the same identifying numbers, but nothing about World…

Is a photo that shows Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein with young girls and boys authentic and part of the Department of Justice's publicly released Epstein files? No, that's not true: The image shows clear signs of being created by AI. The photo has not been released in the Department of Justice Epstein files as of the publication date of…

Did scientists at Harvard University create a 3D model depicting what Mary, Mother of Jesus, might have looked like? No, that's not true: This is an AI-generated image based on the likeness of Madonna, the "Queen of Pop". The joke post follows a formula which has been circulating for years online in which the face of a modern celebrity is…

Does a viral video prove that Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk removed his wife from his will shortly before his murder? No, that's not true: The rumor originated from a self-described satire account. No professional media organization reported the purported change in the will. The claim initially appeared in a video (archived here) published on TikTok on January 30,…

Does a photo of Nigel Farage together with Jeffrey Epstein show that the two men were acquainted? No, that's not true: This image is fake. Although made to look like a photo taken with a flash, there is no evidence this is a real photo which existed before Feb. 3, 2026. Nigel Farage has stated that he never met Epstein.…

Does the size difference between two bars in a White House chart of U.S. steel production show the actual rate of growth from 2024 to 2025? No, that's not true: The bar representing 2025 is twice the size of the 2024 bar, which visually suggests a 100% increase. That's the result of what statisticians call a "truncated axis" that tends…

Is a photo of Ivanka Trump and Melania Trump cuddling with Jeffrey Epstein and Brett Ratner authentic? No, that's not true: The image in the social media post is clearly labeled "satire," and the caption states it is satire. The image was created by an artificial intelligence tool, according to an AI-generated content detector. The claim appeared in a February…

Does a viral image on social media prove that Justice Department files show Jeffrey Epstein once wrote that Donald Trump calls "black girls" "boogers"? No, that's not true: Multiple searches across the Department of Justice website did not show such an email. The viral screenshot is unlikely to be authentic because it contains a reference to a domain registered months…

Did Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart host a "Freedom and Justice" TV show to discuss the death of Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre that reached one billion views globally? No, that's not true: There is no evidence such a show was ever broadcast. The website and Facebook pages spreading the claim are part of a spam network based in Vietnam that…