“This was in 2003”- Ex-bodyguard pushes back on claims linking Michael Jackson to Epstein amidst photo release

Michael Jackson's former bodyguard, Matt Fiddes, has opened up about the late pop star's recently released picture with Jeffrey Epstein. He stated that Jackson wasn't involved in any wrongdoing with the financier and that they were just looking for houses back then.

On Friday, December 19, some documents from the Epstein Files were released after a bill was passed for the revelation. The documents also had some pictures of some big names from across industries, either with the late pedophile or on his estate. The context of these pictures is unknown and doesn't necessarily indicate any wrongdoing.

One such picture showed Michael Jackson with Jeffrey Epstein, leading to speculation about their relationship. However, the late pop star's former bodyguard opened up about the picture in an Instagram comment. He wrote that Epstein's house was allegedly just one of the numerous houses they saw when they were house-hunting. Fiddes wrote (as caught by Meidas Touch on X):

"I was his bodyguard when the picture with Epstein would of been taken. We were just viewing houses as Michael wanted to live on Palm Beach so he can be close to his friend Barry Gibb. A real estate agent set up the viewings over the course of a week. We never even knew who Epstein was he was not famous then. He like the other house owners we viewed that week wanted a picture with Michael. I was there with another bodyguard and Michaels then Dr. Thats it! In 2003!"

Fiddes asserted that back then, Michael Jackson allegedly didn't know who Jeffrey Epstein was. He added,

"Epstein was not in his financial circles. All nonsense!"

He wrote that the Thriller singer was just being polite with the financier, as he was with other house owners, in taking a picture. Fiddes was, notably, the late superstar's bodyguard for around a decade.

Also Read: "Least of Epstein's problems": Russell Brand reacts to reports of Epstein having a painting of Bill Clinton in a blue dress

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Michael Jackson and Bill Clinton seen together in a picture released in Epstein files

Clinton Press Conference (Image Source: Getty)

Among the released files, there was also a picture of Michael Jackson with former US President Bill Clinton. Diana Ross was also seen in the picture, while the faces of some other people were redacted from it.

Meanwhile, Clinton's press secretary, Angel Urena, released a statement following the release of these images on X, writing:

“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. So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be."

He claimed that Clinton belongs to the group of people who allegedly didn't know about Epstein and his wrongdoings when the pictures were taken. Notably, a painting of Clinton in a blue dress was found at Epstein's house when it was searched.

Apart from Michael Jackson and Bill Clinton, the recently released documents also contain the names of Mick Jagger, Bill Gates, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, among others.

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Also Read: "He was furious with me": Marjorie Taylor Greene claims Trump warned "people will get hurt" over her push to release Epstein files

Edited by Aditya Singh