FACT CHECK: Viral Image Purporting To Show Obamas Posing For Family Photo At Epstein Island Is Altered

A viral image shared on Facebook purports to show the Obamas posing for a family photo at Epstein Island.

Verdict: False

The image is digitally altered and was taken at the Lanai viewpoint, which is southeast of Oahu, Hawaii, according to Newtral. The original image was shared on X and Instagram by former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Fact Check:

The Obamas have produced the recent Netflix film, “Leave The World Behind,” according to Fox News. The film has received backlash for including a scene with a warning about white people, Newsweek reported.

The Facebook image, which has received over 1,000 likes and shares, purports to show the Obamas posing for a family photo at Epstein Island. A blue and white-striped building can be seen on a cliff behind them.

The image is digitally altered, however. The original image was shared on X and Instagram by former First Lady Michelle Obama on Aug. 4, 2020, in recognition of her husband, former President Barack Obama’s birthday.

“Happy birthday to my favorite guy. Here’s to all the good days, blue skies, and new adventures to come,” she wrote at the time.

Happy birthday to my favorite guy. Here’s to all the good days, blue skies, and new adventures to come. ???? pic.twitter.com/mxrnNSvJBn

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) August 4, 2020

Likewise, the image was taken at the Lanai viewpoint, which is southeast of Oahu, Hawaii, according to Newtral. The outlet used a reverse image search, comparison with similar images, and geolocation to confirm where the photo was taken.

In addition, an image of the blue and white-striped building is featured in an NBC News article about the late financier Jeffrey Epstein’s island, Little St. James. (RELATED: Is Bill Gates Facing Life Behind Bars On Child Rape Charges?)

Furthermore, neither the former Democratic President nor the First Lady have publicly commented on the digitally altered image via their respective verified X accounts. The claim is also not referenced on the Obama Foundation website.

This is not the first time a false claim linking Obama and Epstein has been made. In August 2023, Check Your Fact debunked a social media post alleging Bloomberg had published a report naming Obama as Epstein’s “middle man.”

Check Your Fact has contacted the Obamas through the Obama Foundation for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.