Fact Check: Photo Claimed to Show Clinton With Epstein Actually Features Jimmy Buffett’s Wife

In a recent wave of social media misinformation, a manipulated photograph purportedly showing Hillary Clinton with her husband Bill Clinton alongside convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell has been debunked as false.

The misleading image, which circulated on X (formerly Twitter) on February 26, featured a blonde woman standing with Bill Clinton, Maxwell, and Epstein. The post falsely claimed this was evidence contradicting Hillary Clinton’s sworn testimony that she had never met Epstein.

Fact-checkers quickly identified that the woman in the photograph is actually Jane Slagsvol, wife of the late musician Jimmy Buffett – not Hillary Clinton as the post suggested. The deception becomes even more apparent when viewing the original, uncropped version of the photograph, which clearly shows Buffett standing next to his wife.

The original photograph was released in December 2025 by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee. The image, believed to have been taken at a Clinton fundraiser at Epstein’s Palm Beach, Florida, home in 1995, has been deliberately cropped to exclude Jimmy Buffett, creating a false narrative about Hillary Clinton’s connections to Epstein.

The misleading post emerged in the immediate aftermath of Hillary Clinton’s closed-door testimony before the House Oversight Committee on February 26, 2026. During this testimony, Clinton explicitly stated under oath that she “never met Jeffrey Epstein.” In her opening statement to the committee, which she later shared on social media, Clinton said: “I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island home or offices.”

This incident highlights the ongoing challenge of misinformation surrounding the Epstein case, which continues to fuel conspiracy theories years after his death in 2019. The convicted sex offender’s connections to powerful figures across politics, business, and entertainment have made the case particularly susceptible to manipulation and false claims.

Social media platforms continue to struggle with the rapid spread of such misleading content. Despite efforts to flag and remove false information, manipulated images can quickly reach thousands of users before being identified as inaccurate.

The manipulation of photographs to create false associations between public figures and controversial individuals has become an increasingly common tactic in political discourse. Digital literacy experts emphasize the importance of verifying images by seeking original sources and checking for signs of manipulation or cropping that might change the context or meaning.

This particular case demonstrates how easily visual information can be distorted to construct misleading narratives. By simply cropping out Jimmy Buffett from the original photograph, the post created a completely false impression about who was present at the event.

The House Oversight Committee’s investigation into matters related to Jeffrey Epstein has been politically charged, with partisan divisions evident in how information is presented and interpreted. While the committee’s work continues, the spread of misinformation threatens to undermine the factual basis of these investigations.

Media watchdogs recommend that social media users apply heightened scrutiny to politically charged images, particularly those making significant claims about public figures. Simple verification steps such as reverse image searches or consulting fact-checking organizations can help prevent the spread of manipulated content.

As investigations into Epstein’s network of connections continue, distinguishing between factual evidence and manipulated content remains essential for public understanding of this complex and disturbing case.