An image circulated online in February 2026 authentically shows Reform UK leader Nigel Farage with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Following the U.S. Department of Justice’s Jan. 30, 2026, release of more than 3 million files related to the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, social media users spread an image appearing to show Reform UK leader Nigel Farage with the sex offender.
The image circulated on X and Threads.
However, a Google search found no reputable news outlets reporting on an image of Farage with Epstein, and if the image was real, it would almost certainly be considered newsworthy. Additional searches returned no credible reports that Farage and Epstein ever met in person or had a direct relationship. The picture also bore several signs of the use of generative artificial intelligence.
Thus, we have rated the image as fake.
A reverse image search could not determine who created the picture.
No links to DOJ Epstein file release
Reverse image searches found no trace of the photo online before the DOJ’s Epstein files release on Jan. 30, 2026. However, there was also no indication that the image came from the release, as it did not appear in searches for Farage’s name in the files.
The DOJ search can be unreliable, particularly for images and handwritten text. However, a review of numerous posts circulating online with the fake image determined that none included a link to the DOJ files, indicating that it likely did not come from the files.
AI indicators in image
Reverse image searches of Farage’s and Epstein’s faces from the image returned no links to authentic photos, appearing to suggest that whoever created the image used artificial intelligence to generate it, rather than digitally editing two pictures together.
Putting the image through AI-detection software — including Hive Moderation, Sight Engine and ZeroGPT — returned mixed results. However, these detectors are not always reliable, and the image contained clear signs of AI use.
For example, AI often has issues with mimicking a person’s ears, and the curve of Epstein’s ear in the picture did not match with credible photos of him from Getty Images, a reputable photography database. The part of his hair was also on the wrong side.
Finally, the lighting of the picture was not consistent. For example, the bright glare on the left did not make sense with the shadows on the left of Epstein and Farage’s faces.
Inconsistencies with the fake image as opposed to a credible photo of Epstein, including the part of his hair, the shape of his ear and illogical lighting. (X user @Fx1Jonny/Getty Images)
Snopes has previously fact-checked numerous images of Epstein with prominent politicians, including both real and fake images of the disgraced financier alongside U.S. President Donald Trump.