A post shared on X claims actor Gene Hackman purportedly made a tweet about Jeffrey Epstein’s client list before his death in February 2025.
Verdict: False
The alleged X handle referenced in the purported post does not exist. In addition, Epstein’s alleged client list has not yet been made public.
Fact Check:
Daniel Lenihan, a friend of Hackman’s, shared that the actor’s health was “slipping” in recent months, according to People. Lenihan’s wife, Barbara, said Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, was “in perfect health,” the outlet reported.
The post, which has been viewed over 2,000 times as of writing, claims Hackman purportedly made a tweet about Epstein’s client list before his death in February 2025.
The post features a screenshot of the purported tweet, which appears to have been posted to the handle @realGeneHackman. “I am ready to corroborate everything in the Epstein client list, and to put Bill Clinton and others in prison, if it’s the last thing I ever do,” the purported tweet reads.
The claim is false. The purported X handle @realGeneHackman does not exist. Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find any credible news reports suggesting Hackman had any link to Epstein. Actually, the opposite is true. On March 2, Lead Stories debunked the claim. The outlet also reported that the purported X handle referenced in the post does not exist.
The claim appears to have circulated online following the release of the first phase of declassified files related to Epstein’s “sexual exploitation of over 250 underage girls at his homes in New York and Florida,” according to a Feb. 27 press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The press release does not mention Epstein’s alleged client list or state if and when such a list would be made public. (RELATED: No, Jim Cramer Did Not Tweet This About Bitcoin)
Hackman, Arakawa, and their dog were found dead at their Santa Fe, New Mexico home, The New York Times reported on Feb. 27. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said their cause of death was unclear and under investigation, the outlet reported.