Debunked: Image of Melania Trump kissing Epstein on cheek is fake

In 2025, a photo circulated online claiming to show U.S. First Lady Melania Trump kissing the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on the cheek. The image gained attention in November 2025, shortly after President Donald Trump signed legislation to release case files related to Epstein's crimes, though it had appeared earlier in the year as well.

On August 16, a user on Threads shared the alleged picture with a sarcastic caption reading, "What a travesty! Trying to say our First Lady had ANYTHING to do with this Epstein guy!" followed by a flushed face emoji and the words, "....never mind." Similar posts appeared on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and X.

Snopes received inquiries from readers asking whether the image was genuine. Investigations confirmed that the photo was entirely fake and generated using artificial intelligence. The Threads user responsible had previously posted at least two other AI-manipulated images of Donald Trump.

Experts noted inconsistencies in Epsteins facial features, particularly the lips, which did not match authentic photographs. No credible news outlet has ever verified the image as real.

AI detection tools provided conflicting results. The AI or Not website suggested the image was "likely real," while the University of Buffalo Media Forensics Lab's Deepfake-O-Meter models mostly underestimated the likelihood of AI manipulation. Lead Stories fact-checked the image on August 12, 2025, tracing it back to an X post featuring a YouTube video thumbnail with the title, "Trump GOES NUTS After Stephen Colbert AIRS Melania's UNSEEN Epstein Secrets On Live TV." As of December 2025, searches revealed no popular videos with this title, implying the video or channel may have been removed. A few videos with minimal views did show similar AI-generated images of Melania Trump and Epstein.

For context, authentic photographs exist from 2000 showing Donald Trump and Melania Knauss posing with Epstein and his associate, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. Additional reporting has addressed unfounded rumors about Melania Trumps past involvement with Epstein, including claims regarding modeling on Epsteins plane and alleged escort work before meeting Donald Trump.

References:

• Duke, Alan. "Fact Check: Photo Of Melania Trump Kissing Jeffrey Epstein Is Fake -- Colbert Didn't Air It." Lead Stories, 12 Aug. 2025. Link
• Kim, Seung Min. "Trump Signs Bill to Release Jeffrey Epstein Case Files after Fighting It for Months." The Associated Press, 20 Nov. 2025. Link
• Martnez, A. "Ghislaine Maxwell Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Overturn Her Conviction." NPR, 29 July 2025. Link
• "What to Know about the Justice Department's Jeffrey Epstein Files." The Associated Press, 20 Nov. 2025. Link

Author: Sophia Brooks