On one of the loudest days in American television, a small group of women chose silence to make their point.
In a short video released on Super Bowl Sunday, survivors of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein appeared before the camera with black bars drawn across their mouths. Each held a photograph of herself as a child. Their message was simple and measured: “We all deserve the truth.”
The 40-second video was produced by World Without Exploitation, an advocacy group that campaigns against sexual abuse and trafficking. It calls on the US government to release all remaining files linked to Epstein, many of which are still withheld or heavily redacted despite a legal deadline having passed.
Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law in November 2025, the Department of Justice was required to make all relevant documents public by mid-December. While several batches have since been released, large sections remain blacked out, and millions of records have yet to be disclosed.
The advert opens with a blunt line of text: “On November 19, 2025, the Epstein Files Transparency Act was signed into law.” It follows with another: “3 million files still have not been released.”
One by one, the survivors look into the camera and say, “We’re standing together.”
At the end, viewers are urged to “stand with us” and to press the US Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to release the remaining material.
The video did not air during the Super Bowl broadcast itself. Organisers told Reuters they could not afford the cost, noting that a 30-second advert during the game can exceed $8 million (£5.9m). Instead, it was released online, where it quickly spread.
The Department of Justice has pushed back against suggestions that it is withholding damaging information. In January, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the latest document release marked the conclusion of what he described as a thorough review process.
“There’s a built-in assumption that there’s some hidden trove of names we’re protecting,” he said at the time. “That is not the case.”
Still, pressure on the department has not eased. Critics argue that missing the December deadline has undermined confidence in the process, particularly given Epstein’s extensive links to powerful figures across politics, business and society.
Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Authorities ruled his death a suicide, a conclusion that has done little to quiet public suspicion or anger.
The scrutiny is set to intensify further this week. Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, is scheduled to appear before a congressional committee examining how the federal government handled the Epstein files. She has agreed to testify under oath, though her lawyers have said she may invoke her right to remain silent unless granted immunity.
For the survivors, the issue is not legal strategy or political fallout. It is about recognition and accountability.
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