The truth behind the mysterious photo of Professor Stephen Hawking with two bikini-clad women found in the Epstein files can be revealed for the first time.
The shocking image of the brilliant physicist on a sun lounger with two unidentified women sipping cocktails was given no context in the US Department of Justice files about financier Epstein, sparking online speculation about its circumstances.
But the Daily Mail has found the original, unredacted copy of the photo, which shows it was taken at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Orlando, Florida in 2008, and the two women were Prof Hawking's full-time carers, Monica Guy and Nicola O'Brien.
Exactly how it ended up in the Epstein Files remains unexplained.
Ms Guy used the photo to illustrate an article she wrote praising the provision of wheelchair-access in US hotels, based on her experience of travelling with Prof Hawking, who was virtually paralysed with motor neurone disease (ALS) until his death in 2018, aged 76.
Carers, not companions
Previously, it was believed the photo was taken at the Ritz-Carlton on the Caribbean island of St Thomas in 2006, when Prof Hawking was giving a speech on Quantum Cosmology while attending a science symposium funded by Epstein.
A representative of the Hawking family estate confirmed that the women were his full-time carers.
Ms Guy, now a PR executive, wrote of her travels alongside the renowned astrophysicist: 'The USA leads the way in terms of accessible hotels. That's the conclusion I've come to after several years spent travelling around with Stephen Hawking, the well-known disabled scientist.'
'We've stayed in top and not-so-top hotels in cities all over the world. In the US it is considered absolutely normal to be disabled, and the right of a disabled person to access the same hotel facilities as everyone else is uncontested.'
She conceded that because of his celebrity status, Prof Hawking was often offered the best hotels by his hosts, and his name 'opens doors.'
She added: 'And because, importantly, Stephen Hawking is confident enough to stand up for his rights - if he had a bad experience, he has no qualms about letting the management know.'
'After a night(mare) of electricity problems and needless hassle at the Randolph in Oxford, he complained publicly and refused to pay for that night.'
The energy of empty space
A spokesperson for the Hawking Family told the Daily Mail: '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.'
Hawking was among 21 internationally renowned scientists who attended a conference hosted by Epstein in March 2006, five months before the financier was charged for the first time with soliciting prostitution.
The conference was held at the five-star, $1,600-per-night Ritz-Carlton hotel on the island of St Thomas, nearby to Epstein's private island Little Saint James.
A post on the blog of the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation included details about the conference, called The Energy of Empty Space That Isn't Zero.
It stated that guests 'could 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'.
The modified submarine
Guests appeared to have split their time between St Thomas and Little Saint James, where Epstein personally hosted them.
Pictures that emerged in 2015 showed Hawking in his wheelchair attending a barbecue.
He was later given a submarine tour of the seabed around Epstein's island.
The financier had modified the vessel especially for Hawking, who had never been underwater before.
Hawking was also previously accused of having 'participated in an underage [expletive]' on the island by late Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, according to emails sent by the financier.
Epstein furiously denied the allegation and appears to have instructed his associate Ghislaine Maxwell to offer money to Giuffre's friends if they could help disprove the claims against Hawking, according to court documents made public two years ago.
FBI officials also received another unsubstantiated tip-off alleging that Epstein visited an 'all male gay club' with Hawking in 2011, according to files released by the DOJ.
250 references, zero proof
The tipster described the venue as a 'bath house' and told officials in 2019 that 'he was watching the news lately and saw prominent men [who] were at the club in 2011'.
'He said at the time he had no idea who they were. Stated there is lots of behavior that goes on there,' the report outlined.
'He said Epstein and Steven Hawking [sic] were there, as well as some Russian liaisons. He has recognized them from the news.'
The report described how the caller 'was near tears' when he said 'it wasn't just girls that were affected by Epstein'.
Hawking is referenced at least 250 times in the Epstein files, a search of the trove of documents released by the DOJ revealed. There is no suggestion that Hawking's appearance in the documents implies any wrongdoing.
Epstein was said to surround himself with prominent scientists and called himself a 'science philanthropist'.
He made large donations to scientific causes and, at one stage, was allegedly giving as much as $20million a year to fund scientists.
The transhumanist fixation
Many of the scientists and researchers distanced themselves after his arrest.
The New York Times reported that Epstein was fixated on 'transhumanism' - a belief that the human species can be deliberately advanced through technological breakthroughs such as genetic engineering and artificial intelligence.
It was reported that Epstein would sometimes steer conversations to be about how to improve the human race genetically.
He reportedly told people that he wanted to impregnate as many women as he could to distribute his genes.
The DOJ has released more than 3.5 million documents under the Epstein files Transparency Act.
Officials have identified more than six million documents related to the financier, but will not be releasing the complete cache.