Making Sense of the Epstein Files Release

There has been renewed public attention around the Epstein case since the Department of Justice finally released parts of the Epstein Files in late December, 2025. But while the documents are being released and sensationalized headlines fixate on high-profile names, we are all still waiting for real accountability.

This article explores the newest release of the Epstein Files, why this bit of transparency doesn’t equate to justice, and how media coverage can be survivor-centered or sensationalized in moments like this. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or just trying to make sense of it all, you are not alone and we’re here to help break everything down.

The Epstein Files: Release, Backstory, and What It All Means

After mounting public pressure, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a batch of the Epstein Files on December 19, 2025. This came after the Epstein Files Transparency Act was signed into law on November 19, 2025, which mandated the DOJ to make all the files public in 30 days.

The files trickled out on a rolling basis. They are now public in the Epstein Library on the DOJ website, but officials have said that nearly two million documents are still unpublished due to the scale of redactions to protect victims. This leaves more than 99% of the Epstein Files unreleased, with no set timeline in sight.

The backstory of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell

To understand how we got here, we have to take a look back. Jeffrey Epstein was a predator financer, first investigated in 2005 for sexual abuse of underage girls. With his power and influence, he led a sex trafficking operation that lasted decades.

In 2019, Epstein was arrested for sex trafficking of minors. A little over a month later, he was found dead in his cell while awaiting trial.

Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested in 2021 for her role in the sex trafficking scheme and as Epstein’s long-time associate. Maxwell recruited, groomed, and participated in the abuse of minors. She’s now serving a 20-year prison sentence.

What was actually in the files?

The released files have thousands of pages, photos, transcripts, survivor testimonials, and police reports, including:

• Grand jury transcripts from 2007: Transcripts from a 2007 Florida grand jury detail a witness describing the recruitment of high school girls for “massages” that turned sexual, with payments of $200.

• Photos of prominent figures: Pictures include Bill Clinton in a hot tub on Epstein’s island, Donald Trump with Epstein and Maxwell, and other public figures such as Walter Cronkite and Naomi Campbell at events.

• Evidence items from Epstein’s homes: This includes message tables, sex toys, and handwritten notes for Epstein, one referencing a missed call from Trump.

• Survivor disclosures: Survivor notes and testimonies detail recruitment tactics, grooming methods, and a fuller scope of Epstein’s sex trafficking operation that exploited thousands of young girls.

What to make of this

Even though only one percent was released, the Epstein Files are messy. Much remains redacted or only partially disclosed. It’s one thing to maintain tight redactions for survivor protection and privacy, but it’s another to continuously postpone deadlines and release inconsistent information.

Many survivors of Epstein’s abuse have spoken out about their disappointment with the release (or more accurately, unrelease, of the files). Jess Michaels, who says she was raped by Epstein in 1991, gave the FBI an interview and a victim statement, but none of this was present in the newest release of the files. 

“It’s another level of betrayal. It’s institutional betrayal,” said Michaels in a statement.

More survivors note that the heavy redactions that are claimed to protect them, are only protecting rich and famous men. Skepticism is definitely warranted and we all deserve complete transparency.

Frustration and Exhaustion Are Valid

If you’re also feeling angry or exhausted about how the release of the Epstein Files has been handled, you’re not alone. And those feelings are completely valid.

There seems to be repeated cycles of “new information” without any meaningful outcomes. There are cycles of news headlines but no real consequences. Shifting deadlines, countless redactions, and decades of waiting continue. This is a pattern that we know all too well.

One survivor shared her own experience of being trafficked and how the system failed to protect her:

"I called 13 times for help. I was beat up. Choked out which I was told in [State] was a felony 10 years. Restraining Order denied in [State]. I detailed the trafficking in [State] and [State] and left to survive this horrific story which I couldn't believe I wasn't protected more. The take away from this is that powerful men are sex trafficking and human trafficking all across America without any legal problems."
- Excerpt of a survivor story from the Our Wave platform

Survivors continuously face delays, silence, and unjust bureaucratic procedures. It’s okay to feel furious and drained at the same time when it comes to the harm Epstein and his network of enablers caused.

So, Where’s the Accountability?

Now that we are supposedly (slowly and heavily redacted) getting small bits of information from the Epstein Files, the next step should be accountability. This means everyone involved in causing harm, not just Epstein and Maxwell, face repercussions. Systems actually change so this can’t happen again and survivors receive the support and justice they deserve.

Even though Epstein was imprisoned in 2019, and Maxwell two years later, there were lots of layers to their operation. Many other people enabled, participated in, or benefitted from the harm these two started. And they are still walking free. No charges and no accountability.

The public release (again, less than one percent) of the Epstein Files doesn’t take any actual steps to protect survivors, prevent future harm, or address the systemic failures that allowed this abuse to happen. Survivors are still healing and enablers remain unpunished. And without any consequences, what’s stopping them from causing harm again?

It’s very difficult to see how things will be different without any institutional change and addressing power dynamics that protect the rich and famous. There’s a lot of public fixation and media attention on the high-profile names involved, and while that matters, we could be losing sight of the bigger picture, which is the systemic failures that enabled this abuse.

Harmful Media Coverage vs. Survivor-Centered Reporting

There’s an old journalism phrase which says “if it bleeds, it leads.” In the case of the Epstein Files, this is seen as scandals, celebrity connections, and political drama. Many of these stories are published with sensationalized headlines to drive clicks.

Headlines that focus on celebrities and political conflict

Let’s look at some real examples of sensational reporting on the Epstein Files. These headlines focus on who was photographed with Epstein and political fallout. There’s no mention of institutional failure or the devastating cost to survivors.

• “Trump calls release of photos of Clinton and others in Epstein files ‘a terrible thing’” (CBS News): This headline frames the story around Trump’s defensiveness rather than harm caused.

• “Epstein mentioned Trump multiple times in private emails, new release shows” (CNN): This type of headline emphasizes figures’ names rather than the survivor impact.

• “Two US presidents and their long associations with Jeffrey Epstein” (BBC): Once again, this headline emphasizes presidential connections, to draw readers in, without any mention of survivors.

Headlines that center survivors

Now compare those to headlines that focus on accountability and survivor validation:

• “Epstein survivor says his impact on her is clear from her high school yearbooks” (CNN): This story names and centers a survivor’s perspective on ongoing harm.

• “Epstein’s victims deserve more attention than his ‘client list’” (The Conversation): This headline leads into an article critiquing the media's tendency to deprioritize survivors.

• “Epstein Files Highlight Urgent Need for Trauma-Informed Justice” (RAINN): This headline leads into a press release centering systemic reform for survivors.

These headlines do not throw around powerful names to get attention. Survivor-centered reporting treats the files as evidence of systemic neglect.

More survivor voices are needed in news outlets

Maria Farmer, another early known survivor of Epstein’s abuse network, shared her thoughts about the release of the files in a press release:

"This is amazing. Thank you for believing me. I feel redeemed... I'm crying for two reasons. I want everyone to know that I am shedding tears of joy for myself, but also tears of sorrow for all the other victims that the FBI failed.”

Maria Farmer spent almost 30 years waiting for justice after the FBI failed to act on her 1996 complaint.

“This is a moment for which I have waited three decades, over half of my life. When I was ignored and hung up on by the FBI in 1996, my world turned upside down, and I felt frozen in time. I faced death threats, ridicule, and mockery by some of the most powerful people on earth.”

Ultimately, some media outlets are heading in the right direction. The Conversation notes that while U.S. law allows naming survivors, newsroom ethics guidelines discourage it, without speaking to the survivors themselves first. CNN is also one outlet that has shifted to explicitly featuring survivors as sources of insight, not just evidence.

Nevertheless, “if it bleeds, it leads” is still the default in most newsrooms. Sensationalized coverage continues to overshadow trauma-informed reporting, even during historically significant moments of transparency like where we are now.

Stepping Back as a Form of Self-Care

All of this sensationalized reporting can be retraumatizing for survivors. Repeated exposure to these headlines that don’t take into account the effects of trauma and survivor healing can take a huge toll on one’s mental health.

Remember, it’s okay to disengage. Setting boundaries around the type of news you consume is healthy. This doesn’t mean you don’t care. It means you’re prioritizing your healing and that takes tremendous strength. You get to consume news about the Epstein Files at your own pace, on your own terms.

You also don’t have to process any of this alone. Our Wave is a digital resource for survivors to engage more deeply in their healing journey. Access curated resources, ask and view other survivor questions with a trauma-informed staff member, and share your own story anonymously in a supportive online community. Whatever your next step looks like, you have support no matter where you are in your journey.

The Files May Be Uncertain, But Your Healing Doesn’t Have to Be

Ironically, the only thing that is certain about the release of the Epstein Files is that much uncertainty remains. We might get more releases but we don’t know when or with how many redactions. Much information and ongoing survivor cases remain in limbo.

But survivors’ healing does not need to remain in limbo.

While social justice organizations, advocates, allies, and survivors continue to push for accountability and institutional change, individual healing matters just as much. Take a step back from the news and surrounding noise if you need to. Seek support from people you trust, whether that’s family, close friends, therapists, or through safe online communities. Stay grounded in your own healing journey.

For more information on curated resources, healing practices, survivor questions, and connecting with others, visit Our Wave’s digital community support platform.