Tony Hawk Refutes Rumors of Jeffrey Epstein Island Wedding

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk has forcefully denied online rumors claiming he was married on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island, calling the allegations “misinformation” in a detailed statement released Thursday.

“Here are the facts and timelines of my nuptials, and I apologize if they don’t fit a narrative of nonsense,” Hawk wrote in an Instagram story addressing the spreading falsehoods.

The 56-year-old professional skateboarder, who has been married four times, specifically outlined the locations of each of his weddings: his home in Fallbrook, California; the Hilton Hotel in San Diego; Tavarua Surf Island in Fiji; and Adare Manor in Ireland. None of these ceremonies took place on Little Saint James, Epstein’s notorious private estate in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The rumors stemmed from recently released Department of Justice documents made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Among thousands of pages of documents was an FBI email dated October 22, 2024, in which a special agent reported that a victim claimed “she was taken from Ireland and brought to Jeffrey Epstein Island when she was 13 years old,” and that “she was there when Prince Edward was there and when Tony Hawk got married on the island.”

The timing of the documents’ release has created a perfect storm for misinformation. In a peculiar coincidence that likely fueled confusion, one guest at Hawk’s 2006 wedding in Fiji was a photographer named Mark Epstein, who shares the same surname as Jeffrey Epstein’s younger brother.

Hawk clarified this connection in his statement, explaining that the photographer “has no relation to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, but is instead an accomplished action sports photographer from Wyoming.” Photos taken by this Mark Epstein at Hawk’s 2006 wedding to then-bride Lhotse Merriam have been published by Getty Images and are readily available online.

The skateboarding pioneer emphatically stated that he has never met Jeffrey Epstein and has never visited the disgraced financier’s island. “This is all easily verifiable information,” Hawk noted. “Facts are not fungible.”

The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law in January 2024, mandated the release of previously sealed records related to Epstein’s trafficking network. The Justice Department has been methodically publishing batches of documents since then, resulting in numerous high-profile names being mentioned in various contexts.

Hawk’s situation highlights the broader challenge public figures face in the current information landscape, where association with Epstein—even erroneously—can quickly damage reputations. Social media’s amplification of unverified claims has compelled many celebrities to respond directly to allegations rather than allowing rumors to spread unchecked.

The skateboarding icon, who revolutionized the sport and launched the successful Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game franchise, has maintained an otherwise relatively scandal-free public image throughout his decades-long career. His charitable foundation has built skate parks in underserved communities worldwide, focusing on providing safe recreational spaces for youth.

Hawk’s direct response to these rumors reflects a growing trend among public figures who choose to address misinformation head-on rather than allowing false narratives to gain traction in the digital ecosystem where verification often lags behind virality.