Former US President Bill Clinton has addressed a viral photo of himself in a hot tub that appears in the Epstein files released by the Department of Justice in January 2026.
In the image seen by TNX Africa, Clinton appears relaxed in a hot tub alongside an unidentified individual whose face was redacted with a black square. He spoke publicly about the image for the first time during a deposition before the House Oversight Committee in Chappaqua, New York, on February 27.
“I don’t think I ever knew the photo was taken. I am almost sure that it was shot in Brunei at the end of a ‘long’ Asia trip,” Clinton said.
He explained that the Sultan and Prime Minister of Brunei had supported his Global AIDS initiative, adding that Hassanal Bolkiah invited him to stay at a specific hotel and encouraged him to use the pool facilities.
“The Sultan of Brunei was a man I had gotten to know well in my eight years as president. He said, ‘I want you to stay at this hotel and I hope you will use the pool.’ So I did. And then I got out, and went to bed, exhausted,” Clinton recalled.
When asked whether he knew the person redacted in the image, Clinton responded twice, “I don’t know who that is.” He added, “I sat in the hot tub for five minutes, or whatever it was, and I got up and went to bed.”
Committee members also asked whether anything sexual occurred in the hot tub that night. Clinton denied this, shaking his head.
According to BBC News, other photographs from the same hotel appear in the Epstein files, showing additional individuals in the hot tub and pool area. Some faces were redacted by the Justice Department, while others included Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a prison sentence.
Clinton also denied any knowledge of wrongdoing related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. He maintained that he was merely an acquaintance and said their relationship “ended years before his crimes came to light.”
The deposition sparked mixed reactions online. One Instagram user, Lala Peace, wrote, “Bill isn’t ashamed at all.” Another user, Marron, commented, “Ok why isn’t TRUMP doing this? I’m confused.”