Bill Clinton Says Viral Hot Tub Photo in Epstein Files Was Taken at Brunei Hotel During AIDS Tour

During a marathon 4.5-hour legal session in Chappaqua, New York, Bill Clinton finally addressed the grainy photo that has been all over social media since the latest Epstein document dump.

The 79-year-old was questioned by the House Oversight Committee regarding a photo that shows him lounging in a hot tub next to a woman whose face is hidden by a black redaction square. When asked about the moment, Clinton pushed back on the idea that he was aware of the camera.

“I don’t think I ever knew the photo was taken,” Clinton said. He explained that he was “almost sure” the scene took place at a hotel in Brunei while he was wrapping up an Asian tour for his global AIDS initiative.

The backstory involves a diplomatic relationship with Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan and Prime Minister of Brunei, which dates back to Clinton’s time in the Oval Office. According to Clinton, the Sultan wanted to support his charitable work and insisted that the former president stay at a specific property and use the pool facilities.

“So I did,” Clinton said. And then I got out and went to bed exhausted.” While the Department of Justice’s massive file release also features shots of Clinton swimming with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the former president claimed he didn’t recognize the person in the water with him. He noted that a Secret Service agent was in the room at the time and stated clearly that the woman was an adult and that he did not have any sexual relations with her.

These records are coming to light under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law requiring the DOJ to open up investigation materials to the public. The collection features Clinton alongside various icons like Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, though no allegations of misconduct have been aimed at the musicians. In a sharp rebuttal posted to X, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, Angel Ureña, accused the White House of using the document dump as a calculated distraction.

The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton. This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever,” the statement read.

Ureña’s post suggested that the focus on these decades-old photos is a misdirection. “They can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton,” the statement continued. “Never has, never will be.

Even Susie Wiles said Donald Trump was wrong about Bill Clinton.” The defense team drew a hard line between those who severed ties with Epstein early and those who stayed in his circle.

“There are two types of people here. The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We’re in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that. Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats,” the statement concluded.

While thousands of pages have been released, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche noted that the DOJ is still scrubbing hundreds of thousands of additional documents to ensure victim privacy is maintained.