Why ‘pizza’ mentions in Epstein files don’t prove ‘pizzagate’ conspiracy theory

In February and March 2026, social media users alleged that numerous emails in convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s federal case files proved the long-debunked “pizzagate” conspiracy theory. Users mostly claimed that repeated references to “pizza” within the emails and documents referenced a secret code word for child sex trafficking.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-CO, promoted the claim on HBO’s talk show “Real Time with Bill Maher,” later on X (archived) and during her questioning of former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a House committee deposition.

In short, the rumor that the Epstein files confirmed the “pizzagate” conspiracy theory was false. As detailed below, the emails and text messages mentioning “pizza” that many users shared have explanations found elsewhere in the case files. No credible evidence shows that anyone named in the documents used the word “pizza” to refer to anything other than food.

In one of many examples, users questioned an email with the subject line “U9 Red pizza party,” with one alleging that “U9 Red” referenced the blood of children under 9 years old. However, other emails confirmed the subject line referred to a youth soccer team and involved the family of Epstein’s assistant Lesley Groff. Those emails included reminders about many matches against other teams, plans for a party and coach’s gift and shopping for soccer clothes and shoes. Some other references to pizza similarly involved Groff’s family, with no indication Epstein was included in the exchanges.

The Justice Department website hosts the Epstein files, including a massive batch of records released on Jan. 30, 2026. The files contain emails and other documents involving numerous people in Epstein’s orbit — not just correspondence with Epstein’s name in the “from,” “to” or “cc” fields. A search of the files returned more than 900 documents, including some duplicates, that mention the word “pizza” across roughly two decades.

The Justice Department’s July 2019 charges against Epstein described paid “massages” as one way he victimized girls and women, alleging that encounters began with actual massages and then led to sexual activity. For example, emails that the Justice Department briefly hosted online showed a woman named Viktoriia Makhova arranging paid “massages” with girls.

The “pizzagate” conspiracy theory first gained traction during Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Users on the 4chan image board alleged that hacked Democratic Party emails published by WikiLeaks, including those of Clinton campaign chair John Podesta, featured secret code words for child pornography and sex trafficking. They pointed to the words “cheese,” “pizza” and “spirit cooking” as supposed evidence. A “pizzagate” believer later opened fire at Comet Ping Pong, a Washington pizzeria mentioned in Podesta’s emails. According to Britannica, “pizzagate” was a “precursor to QAnon,” another conspiracy theory alleging a global cabal kidnaps and tortures children before using their blood in satanic rituals.

Snopes contacted Boebert to ask why she didn’t properly research the subject before promoting the false claim. We also attempted to contact the Justice Department and people named in this article, including Makhova, or representatives for them for comment regarding these rumors. In some of our messages, we directly asked if they had involvement in Epstein’s crimes and will update this story if new information becomes available.

People named in this article include:

• Brian Feeney, who appears in the Epstein files as a Connecticut resident.
• Dr. Harry Fisch, who worked as a New York urologist prior to Epstein’s death. He is an author and serves as vice chairman for the Veru biopharmaceutical company.
• Lesley Groff of New Canaan, Connecticut, who is married to Ike Groff and worked as an assistant for Epstein. In August 2019, a Connecticut publication reported prosecutors considered charging Lesley Groff as a co-conspirator. The article quoted her attorney Michael Bachner as her denying involvement in activities related to Epstein’s federal sex-trafficking charges. Snopes reached Bachner by phone in February 2026. He declined to comment on the “pizzagate” conspiracy theory claims. The name of Ty, the Groffs’ son (then a minor), appeared in both redacted and unredacted emails in family matters unrelated to illegal activities.
• Erin Ko, who worked as a New York artist.
• Karyna Shuliak, who was Epstein’s last girlfriend and the prime beneficiary in his trust — which Epstein signed Aug. 8, 2019. Two days later, officials said Epstein killed himself in his New York City jail cell. A medical examiner’s report ruled Epstein’s death a suicide by hanging. As of publication, we were unable to contact Shuliak.
• Bobby Slayton, an actor and comedian, who recounted in a 2024 podcast episode his story of meeting Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

Aside from the report of prosecutors previously considering charges against Groff, none of the other people named have been charged in connection with Epstein’s crimes as of this writing. This article features the “pizza” mentions from the Epstein files that circulated widely online and drew the most attention. This article does not allege the people named participated in criminal activity.

“Would it be OK to go to Red Hook for an hour to have a quick pizza”

Online users questioned the meaning of a person asking Epstein if he or she could “go to Red Hook” for “a quick pizza.” Federal officials redacted the sender’s email address in the July 11, 2012, email. The sender’s display name appeared as “LSJ,” an apparent reference to the acronym for Little St. James, Epstein’s Caribbean island — indicating the message referenced the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Red Hook seaside village located nearby. Epstein answered the email with “ok.”

Another email named a married couple who managed the “LSJ” email account at the time. The couple both worked under the title of island manager.

“I wanted to let you know the crew really appreciated the pizza today.”

Facebook and Instagram users reposted a March 9, 2013, email from a married couple. In the message, one of the two people wrote to Epstein, “I wanted to let you know the crew really appreciated the pizza today. Thank you for letting us do that.”

A different email from Jan. 29, 2013, suggested Epstein hired the same couple as the new general managers of his Caribbean island, Little St. James. This information indicated the couple’s email thanked Epstein for offering the island crew pizza for a meal.

“U9 Red pizza party”

Users questioned the meaning of a June 2, 2013, email with the subject line “U9 Red pizza party.” For example, one user alleged “U9 Red” referenced the blood of children 9 years old.

However, other emails confirmed the subject line referred to a youth soccer team and involved Lesley Groff’s family. Those emails included reminders about many matches with other teams, organizing a party and gift for a coach, and shopping for soccer clothes and shoes.

“Pizza time!” and “thx for taking the boys for pizza”

An X user shared (archived) several email screenshots, including one showing an email with the subject line “Pizza time!” and the message, “Thx for taking the boys for pizza.” The Feb. 19, 2014, email included several redactions, including some obscuring very short names.

Another email — one users did not reference — suggested federal officials redacted the names of Ty Groff, who was a minor at the time, and a second child. In that exchange, Lesley Groff and another woman discussed taking children out to eat pizza, with no information suggesting that pizza referred to anything other than the food.

“Re: Spoof on chandelier (the video I sent yu with the amazing little girl dance” and “Pizza party was great”

Facebook and X users shared cropped screenshots of an email chain from July 20-21, 2014. The subject line read, “Re: Spoof on chandelier (the video I sent yu with the amazing little girl dance.” The email body read, “totally loved it… Pizza party was great! we had a lot of fun…stayed late…we all slept in yesterday morning. your night was good?”

The full email included a link to a “Jimmy Kimmel Live” segment from 2014 in which young dancer and actor Maddie Ziegler taught Kimmel and his sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez choreography for singer-songwriter Sia’s 2014 hit “Chandelier.” Throughout the years, Lesley Groff communicated with other people whose names appeared in the email (searches for “les” reveal her messages), indicating she may have authored some of the emails in the chain, though we could not confirm this with certainty. Nothing in the exchange credibly suggests the mention of pizza referred to anything other than the food.

“Jeffrey says he wants to go out to a pizza place with you” and “he knows you are in the know on this ;)”

Users discussed a July 31, 2014, email chain in which actor and comedian Bobby Slayton corresponded with a person whose name federal officials redacted. The original email message read in part, “Reconfirming you will come see Jeffrey at 6:30 tonight.” Lesley Groff used the same “reconfirming you will come see Jeffrey today” language in many other emails. The email exchange briefly appears at the 4:20 mark in this misleading video:

Later in the email chain, the two people discussed food and wine, with Slayton joking he didn’t care if he ate as long as he had his red wine. Then, the person with the redacted name — possibly Groff — told Slayton, “sit down…cause i know you wont believe this… are you sitting… Jeffrey says he wants to go out to a pizza place with you! (He did not mention a particular pizza place, but he knows you are in the know on this ;).”

In response, Slayton said he was on a New York subway train heading to Di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn and Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitana in Coney Island, and that he would complete a “trifecta” later that night by eating pizza with Epstein. No information credibly suggested that any mention of pizza referred to anything other than the food.

“May I bring in your slice of pizza to you?”

Social media users alleged a woman named Daphne Wallace emailing Epstein an offer for a “slice of pizza” on Sept. 22, 2015, referenced an underage girl. A document in the Epstein files listed Wallace as an assistant for the Epstein-owned Southern Trust Co., located in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Days earlier, a Sept. 17 email chain featured Wallace asking Epstein about his preference for various lunch options, including steamed dumplings, steak and vegetables, burgers, salads, handmade pizzas and wraps. Epstein chose handmade pizza. Wallace responded to offer him meat lovers, cheese or vegetarian pizza. Epstein chose cheese. No information credibly suggested mentions of pizza referred to anything other than the food.

“Your Pizza Is YUMMY YUMMY!!” and “Thank you for the pizza today! really good!! Xo!”

Instagram and Reddit users posted about this Sept. 30, 2015, email, in which a sender with a redacted name wrote, “Your Pizza Is YUMMY YUMMY!! Thank you for the pizza today! really good!! xo!” Subsequent emails revealed Lesley Groff as the sender, as well as messages showing a pattern of her using the word “yummy” in relation to other foods, including “yummy muffin,” “yummy carrot cake” (name proof), “yummy goodies” and “yummy yummy” Magnolia Bakery.

“Mr. Epstein would like to see the menu from the pizza place”

Facebook, Threads and X (archived) users shared an Oct. 10, 2015, email with Epstein’s girlfriend Karyna Shuliak asking another person for a menu for the Pizza Amore restaurant, located in the U.S. Virgin Islands near Epstein’s Little St. James island. A person responded to the email by sharing the pizzaamorestthomas.com website. Users also discussed questionable information appearing on the website in February 2026.

On Feb. 1, 2026, the day after the Justice Department released a new batch of Epstein case files, website domain records showed an unknown user registered the defunct pizzaamorestthomas.com domain after it had previously expired. That user then created an inside-joke version of the Pizza Amore website. The newly-created website featured a picture of a chef with a pizza and grape soda. The image referenced unsubstantiated allegations about Epstein’s inner circle using “pizza” and “grape soda” as code words for sex trafficking. The image displayed text about a “head chef” named “Samolo Hyde” — a reference to a years-old meme.

The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine hosted a 2015 version of the authentic Pizza Amore website, simply featuring a menu and hours, as well as contact information and location details.

“The Pizza Monster!,” “Yeah, that’s the pizza” and “she looks pregnant”

An X user shared (archived) a screenshot of an April 26, 2016, email with the subject line, “The Pizza Monster!” In the email, Epstein responded to another person whose name federal officials redacted, “she looks pregnant.” The person with the redacted name then replied, “You mean radiating a soft glow with the look of bliss and excitement. Yeah, that’s the pizza…”

The original email, the first message in the chain, featured Shuliak’s name and “Fsf,” as well as a reference to a photo attachment not accessible in the Epstein files. The letters “Fsf” appeared to reference the Free Software Foundation. A different email revealed Epstein used “Fsf” as one of his email display names for a period of time.

According to another exchange, Shuliak was traveling with a friend or acquaintance in Europe in April 2016, including in Rome from April 24-27. That exchange included restaurant recommendations, providing a possible explanation for the mention of pizza. Because the original email showed a person with a redacted name sent the email to Epstein and Shuliak, that person was possibly Shuliak’s unknown travel partner. The short, fully blacked-out “to” line in Epstein’s response suggested he chose to respond privately, rather than using “reply all” — which would have included Shuliak — to joke with the unnamed recipient about Shuliak eating a lot of pizza in Rome.

“Feeney asking about a pizza party this weekend”

Reddit users discussed a man named Brian Feeney, including referencing an Aug. 31, 2016, email resembling Lesley Groff’s many reminder documents. That email read, “Feeney asking about a pizza party this weekend.” A separate email chain from the same day showed Ike and Lesley Groff discussing plans for an “afternoon pizza party at Brian Feeney’s on Monday.” The pair talked about everyday family topics including a football practice start time, the purchasing of school supplies and dinner plans about chicken corn chowder. A 2013 email also featured a mention of Feeney having a patio with a pizza oven and fireplace.

“Butt pizza mold” and “butt cake”

Users on Reddit, Threads and X (archived) posted about text messages from Dec. 14, 2016, mentioning a “butt pizza mold” and “butt cake,” with some users alleging the matter involved a young girl. The messages displayed a conversation between New York artist Erin Ko and someone whose name federal officials redacted.

The last page of the 18-page document showed iMessage folder paths (example: /Users/karyna/Library/Messages/chat.db) indicating Epstein’s girlfriend Karyna Shuliak was the other user. The messages appeared to indicate Shuliak visited a studio to create the cast for the “butt pizza mold” with her own body.

Text messages from January 2017 showed Shuliak, with Ko’s mentions of “Karyna” left unredacted, asking for Ko to finish the mold by Jan. 17. Ko said, “BTW it super heavy,” alerting Shuliak that it might be difficult to transport. The messages suggested “pizza butt mold” was Shuliak’s gift — a pizza mold in the shape of her rear end — for Epstein’s 53rd birthday on Jan. 20.

Days later, Ko asked, “How did people like the pizza?” Shuliak answered, “They did not really eat much of it, but they loved the idea.”

“Send pizza to Bobby” and “order pizza for Bobby Slayton”

Instagram and X users shared two emails from May 24-25, 2017 — messages resembling other reminders sent by Lesley Groff — requesting that actor and comedian Bobby Slayton be given pizza upon his arrival in New York City. The emails appear after other messages in this popular video:

Those users omitted a May 25, 2017, email instructing a person to drive to Arturo’s Coal Oven Pizza the moment they opened to order a large cheese pizza. The message added that if Slayton hadn’t yet arrived at the apartment building, the pizza should be left with the doorman along with one of Epstein’s cards reading, “Compliments of Jeffrey Epstein” and with “Arturo’s Pizza for Bobby” written on it. For readers researching these rumors, other emails provide further context.

“This is better than a Chinese cookie” and “Lets go for pizza and grape soda again”

Reddit and X users alleged an April 6, 2018, email mentioning “Chinese cookie” and “pizza and grape soda” referenced code words for child sex trafficking. Additional information showed those claims lacked credibility.

The email displayed the subject line “VERU” with a Veru pharmaceutical company document attachment. A document in the Epstein files containing text messages from the previous month showed a man named Harry Fisch (misspelled “Fish”), then a New York urologist, sending messages to a redacted user appearing to be Epstein, including with actual photos of Chinese cookies.

Subsequent text messages from May 2018 featured Fisch talking about a bakery making Pop-Tarts, as well as mentioning “a slice of pizza with grape soda” with a photo of the meal. Other text messages from April 2018 featured discussions about Epstein’s health and prescriptions, another mention of “pizza and grape soda,” a picture of a cinnamon roll, and an exchange about chicken parmesan and veal. A June 3, 2018, email also included the words, “What time do you want to get pizza and grape soda tomorrow?” No evidence suggested that those mentions referenced anything other than the actual food and beverages.

In an Aug. 9, 2016, podcast episode, Fisch repeatedly discussed his love for food, including a reference (25:14) to visiting 2nd Ave Deli for pastrami, the same deli and food he mentioned in the messages. At the 35:10 mark, he joked about eating so much he couldn’t close the button on his suit jacket.

Sources