Purported Epstein Suicide Attempt Video Briefly Released by Justice Department, Then Removed

A video purportedly depicting disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein attempting suicide inside a Manhattan detention facility was briefly released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), triggering fresh outrage and speculation. According to reports, the clip appeared without explanation on the DOJ’s official website as part of a broader release of documents known as the Epstein investigative files.

The video, first reported by the New York Post, was quietly uploaded and later removed, raising serious questions about how such material made its way into an official government document dump. No immediate clarification accompanied its release or subsequent deletion.

In the unsettling 12-second footage, a man with white hair wearing an orange prison jumpsuit is seen kneeling at the foot of a bunk bed and appearing to struggle violently. The clip carries a timestamp of 4:29 am on August 10, 2019—roughly two hours before Epstein was found unconscious in his cell at New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center.

The video was embedded within the DOJ’s online archive of Epstein-related materials and bore the label “J Epstein” in one corner, lending it an appearance of authenticity that alarmed viewers before it was taken down.

Breaking: A video purporting to show Jeffrey Epstein attempting suicide was briefly released by the DOJ before being removed from public access, prompting renewed scrutiny of the department’s handling of the Epstein files.

A Suspected Fake Clip Sparks Confusion

According to the New York Post, the video was later identified as a manipulated clip that had previously circulated on the online forum 4chan. The report claimed that a Florida-based conspiracy theorist alerted federal investigators, after which the Justice Department swiftly deleted the video from its website.

Despite the uproar, the DOJ has yet to issue a formal statement explaining how the allegedly fake video was included in the official release or who was responsible for vetting the materials before publication.

The controversy comes just one day after another unusual incident involving the Epstein files, in which a photograph of former US President Donald Trump was briefly removed from the archive and later restored. Officials stated that the temporary removal was due to victim Privacy concerns, not political considerations.

Jeffrey Epstein, who was facing federal sex-trafficking charges involving minors, was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019. US authorities have repeatedly ruled his death a suicide, but the circumstances—including malfunctioning cameras and alleged guard negligence—have fueled years of public doubt and conspiracy theories.

Epstein’s brother, Mark Epstein, has consistently rejected the suicide conclusion, claiming that his sibling was murdered. The Justice Department has not addressed whether the briefly released video has any connection to those allegations.

What the DOJ’s Epstein Files Contain

The so-called Epstein Files comprise a vast collection of documents, photographs, and videos related to the convicted sex offender. Several of the materials are deeply disturbing, including images of Epstein with underage girls and surveillance footage from properties investigators say were central to his abuse network.

Many records also feature Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate and a British socialite accused of recruiting young girls for his exploitation ring. Maxwell was convicted in late 2021 on multiple charges related to sex trafficking and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.

The document dump additionally includes video footage from the day Epstein died at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. Federal officials have long maintained that the surveillance footage—previously released—shows no one entering the area outside Epstein’s cell in the hours leading up to his death.

Even years later, the brief appearance of a questionable video on an official DOJ platform underscores the enduring sensitivity of the Epstein case and the deep mistrust surrounding how key evidence has been handled.