Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk has reacted furiously to claims that he got married on Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous island.
Following the U.S. Department of Justice’s release of 3.5 million files relating to late pedophile Epstein, a large number of high-profile figures and global celebrities have spoken out to defend their being named in connection with the disgraced financier.
The likes of President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates saw their ties to Epstein come under further scrutiny following the January 30 release – all three have strenuously denied wrongdoing.
Yet there were other, perhaps more surprising, inclusions in the dump of email exchanges, texts, and media files. Princess Diana’s name, for example, can be found, while the likes of Michael Jackson, Jay-Z, Richard Branson, Naomi Campbell, and Martha Stewart are all mentioned in one context or another.
At this point we’ll remind readers that inclusion in the files does not necessarily prove any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Some names appear only when mentioned in passing by third parties in emails, others appear to show individuals having a line of communication with Epstein himself.
Given the sheer number of documents released, it should hardly come as a surprise that there are new headlines being written even now, a week later.
Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk wasn’t the first name people were drawn to as they combed through the new files, but speculation claiming he rubbed shoulders with Epstein has now surfaced.
Hawk’s name was present in an email dated October 22, 2024 discussing the alleged human trafficking of a minor.
The email in question sees a special agent – their name is redacted in the files – who was working as a Threat Intake Examiner at the FBI National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) sharing details of a conversation he had with the alleged victim.
He wrote that the victim had reported her story to the FBI’s tip line that morning, claiming that she had been trafficked to have sex with “politicians and notable men” since childhood.
The email reads: “It started when she was five years old when she was taken from an apartment she was living in and cut in the throat. At seven years old she was moved to Fresno, CA and was taken again when she was 12-13 years old.
“During that time reported she was a virgin when she was taken and was brought to Paris to do it in the most ‘romantic’ place in the world and was raped by three men.
“The men were a part of an organisation that would take naked photos of young girls and used photo where she flew to Ireland for politicians and notable men.
“They would have sex with the younianen and she was taken from Ireland and brought to Jeffery Epstein Island when she was 13 years old.”
The email goes on to highlight that the victim claimed she was on Little Saint James – the notorious island Jeffrey Epstein owned – “when Prince Edward was there and when Tony Hawk got married on the island”.
Hawk yesterday took to Instagram to rubbish the claims in their entirety, branding them ‘nonsense’.
Via his Instagram story, father-of-four Hawk shared ‘the facts and timelines’ of his past nuptials. He added: “I apologise if they don’t fit a narrative of nonsense.”
Hawk wrote: “1990: Married in Fallbrook, CA (at home). 1996: Married in San Diego, CA (at Hilton Hotel). 2006: Married in Fiji (on Tavarua Surf Island). 2015: Married in Ireland (at Adare Manor).”
The pioneering skateboarder went on to suggest that his 2006 wedding to Lhotse Merriam was the one referenced in the files, explaining that images from the ceremony were licensed by Getty Images, and that the photographer had the second name ‘Epstein’.
Hawk said: “One of the guests in 2006 shot photos of the Fiji ceremony and licensed them to Getty Images. His name is (coincidentally) Mark Epstein.”
Mark Epstein, Hawk stressed, is of “no relation” to Jeffrey.
The 57-year-old finished by categorically stating that he had “never met” Epstein and “never visited” Little Saint James.
“This is all easily verifiable information. Facts are not fungible,” he said.
