The release of more than three million documents linked to late sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has sparked a wave of lurid accusations online, including accusations of cannibalism and “ritual sacrifices.”
The documents were made public after US President Donald Trump allowed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to declassify material related to Epstein. Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
On January 30, the Department of Justice released a trove of records related to Epstein. Soon after, social media posts began circulating claiming the documents accused Epstein or people in his social circle of eating babies, cannibalizing people and engaging in ritual killings.
The accusations quickly gained traction, with users selectively citing excerpts from emails and interview excerpts included in the document.
“cream cheese” reference
One message attributed to Epstein that was widely shared online read: “Millions of babies but few good vegetables” [vegetable] Cream cheese. “
Another line on the same exchange said: “Haha I don’t know if cream cheese and babies are on the same level.”
In a subsequent version of the exchange, another participant was identified as “Nadia.” While the full identity is unknown, Epstein’s former pilot was Nadia Marcinko, also known as Nada Marcinkova, who has been reported missing since early 2024.
The documents did not clarify the context of the conversation, but the juxtaposition of the words “baby” and “cream cheese” fueled claims of cannibalism online.
“Cream cheese” is mentioned several times in the DOJ document. However, in most cases the context is mundane and has to do with food or activity planning.
There is no indication in the record that the term was used as a metaphor for violence or cannibalism.
The saying “elites eat people”
Furthering speculation, a 2009 video resurfaced online showing then-21-year-old model Gabriela Rico Jiménez being detained in Guadalajara while shouting about elite cannibalism, rituals and sacrifices at elite gatherings.
The video, combined with newly released Epstein documents, further amplifies the conspiracy-driven narrative across platforms.
Fact-checking cannibalism claims
Fueled by widespread claims online, fact-checking website Snopes censored The Justice Department documented and addressed the viral allegations. Snopes said that while the documents did mention cannibalism and ritual sacrifices, the legitimacy of those claims could not be proven.
According to the fact-checking website, “cannibalism” appears 52 times in Epstein’s files, while “cannibalism” is mentioned six times. However, none directly support the claim of virality.
“In short, the assertion that the Epstein files contain such allegations and references is true and based on snopes Review of federal records,” the report states.
But the site reportedly doesn’t stop there Snopesthe allegations date back to a 2019 interview between FBI officials and an anonymous person.
“The baby was dismembered and his intestines removed”
According to records cited by the Justice Department SnopesThe anonymous man claimed he witnessed extreme abuse on Epstein’s yacht in 2000.
In an email to FBI officials, the man claimed that he “was the victim of a sacrificial ritual in which his feet were severed with a machete but left no scar. On the yacht, he witnessed babies being dismembered, their intestines removed, and their feces being eaten.”
The man also accused Epstein and other high-profile figures of sexually assaulting him during the same incident.
However, Justice Department records show he provided no evidence to support his claims.
Snopes noted that the anonymous man was not specifically accused of cannibalism, but of consuming human feces.
