Jeffrey Epstein Offered Reward to Prove That Stephen Hawking 'Orgy' Allegation Was False: Docs

Hawking, one of many individuals named in the filings, was mentioned in a 2015 email sent by the disgraced financier

Jeffrey Epstein once spoke about offering a reward to disprove a purported allegation that Stephen Hawking had taken part in an "underage orgy," according to newly unsealed court documents.

The renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist, who died in 2018 at 76, is one of over 100 people who were named in the large trove of documents released on Wednesday night as a result of a lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell, an accomplice of the late disgraced financier, among other related cases.

According to the 2015 email, Epstein told Maxwell she could "issue a reward" to any of Giuffre's friends, acquaintances or family members "that come forward and help prove her allegations are false," going on to specifically mention a purported claim that Hawking participated in an orgy in the Virgin Islands, where Epstein had a home. There are no other mentions of any allegation regarding Hawking in the unsealed documents. Hawking has never been charged with sexual misconduct and the documents released on Wednesday do not include any specific allegations directly from Giuffre.

According to the 2015 email, Epstein told Maxwell she could "issue a reward" to any of Giuffre's friends, acquaintances or family members "that come forward and help prove her allegations are false," going on to specifically mention the claim that Hawking participated in an orgy in the Virgin Islands, where Epstein had a home.

Hawking visited the convicted sex offender's private Caribbean island as part of a science conference trip to St. Thomas in March 2006, shortly before Epstein was first charged, according to Sky News and The Independent.

PEOPLE has reached out to Hawking's estate for comment.

Related: Epstein Files Unsealed: David Copperfield, Frederick Fekkai and Michael Jackson Named in Documents

ABC News reported that a New York federal judge ordered the unsealing of a vast cache of documents publicly naming Epstein's associates in December.

In the email message that mentioned Hawking, Epstein also referred to a separate allegation he claimed was false that involved former President Bill Clinton. Elsewhere in the documents, Epstein accuser Johanna Sjoberg testified that Clinton "likes them young, referring to girls."

The former president did not object to the unsealing of the documents. In a statement to PEOPLE, Clinton Foundation spokesperson Angel Urena noted that Clinton has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Additionally, Urena referred PEOPLE to a 2019 statement, which read, in part, "President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York."

Related: Jimmy Kimmel Slams 'Reckless' Aaron Rodgers, Threatens to Sue Him Over Claims of Ties to Jeffrey Epstein

Giuffre has alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions when she was 17.

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In a 2022 statement issued following an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre, lawyers for Andrew said, "Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights."

"Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks," the statement read.

"It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others," the statement continued. "He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims."

Buckingham Palace had no comment when reached by PEOPLE on Thursday.

For her role in the sex trafficking scheme, Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2022 and fined $750,000, the maximum allowable, PEOPLE previously reported. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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