Tony Hawk denies marrying on Jeffrey Epstein’s island
Tony Hawk has firmly rejected unfounded claims that he wed on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island, addressing speculation that emerged following his mention in documents relating to the convicted sex offender, reports BritPanorama.
The skateboarding icon married Lhotse Merriam, a lingerie store owner who became his third wife, during a 2006 ceremony at Tavarua Island resort in Fiji, a renowned surfing destination. Wedding photographs held by Getty Images clearly identify this location.
Confusion arose when the wedding photographer was identified as Mark Epstein, sharing a name with Jeffrey Epstein’s sibling. This coincidence spurred widespread online speculation about the ceremony’s true venue. Further fuelling the rumours, a document from the Epstein files contains a statement from an alleged victim claiming she was present on Little Saint James island “when Tony Hawk got married on the island”.
Hawk responded via Instagram, denying any suggestion that he had visited Epstein’s island or encountered the disgraced financier, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. “His name is [coincidentally] Mark Epstein, an accomplished sports action photographer from Wyoming and of no relation to Jeffrey Epstein (who I never met and whose island I never visited),” Hawk stated.
He emphasized that “this is all easily verifiable information. Facts are not fungible,” and provided details of his marital history, confirming his first wedding in 1990 and subsequent marriages.
The Epstein files, comprising millions of documents, images, and videos linked to the financier’s criminal conduct, do not imply wrongdoing simply by being included.
For all the intrigue surrounding celebrity narratives, Hawk’s assertions underscore a fundamental truth about the intersection of fame and spurious claims — how easily reputations can become entangled in the court of public opinion.
