‘I am not Jeffrey Epstein’: Florida man reacts after lookalike video goes viral

A Florida man has reacted after a viral video of him triggered a wave of speculation online, with social media users claiming he resembled disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.The man identified himself as a Florida resident “Palm Beach Pete”. (X/@not_jeffepstein)The clip shows a man cruising in a convertible with the top down, wearing a backwards cap. As he drives, a voice from another vehicle is heard saying, “Epstein is alive”.The clip quickly went viral online, with viewers dissecting the man’s appearance and drawing comparisons to the disgraced financier who died in 2019 while awaiting trial in a New York jail.(Also Read: Jeffrey Epstein ‘LOVED’ Pakani shalwar kurta, told he could wear them ‘at Indian parties too’)Florida man speaks outAmid the growing buzz, the man in the video has now come forward to address the claims, identifying himself as a Florida resident known as “Palm Beach Pete”. In a video shared on X, he said he was unaware he had been filmed and only realised what had happened after his phone was flooded with notifications.“Hey everybody, this is Palm Beach Pete. And my video went viral because some dude randomly filmed me while I was driving on I-95, unbeknownst to me. And the next thing I know, I’m a viral sensation. I had my phone down for about four hours and didn’t know my phone was blowing up with all these comments from that video. So, it got a lot of traction. It’s pretty crazy. Thanks,” he said.He also directly shut down the rumours when asked if he was Epstein. “I’m not Jeffrey Epstein. I’m Palm Beach Pete,” he added.(Also Read: ‘I was maken’: LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman admits he met Jeffrey Epstein after 2015 despite earlier claims)Social media reactionsHowever, despite the clarification, the video continues to gain traction, with users divided over what they were seeing.Several users pointed to what they described as a striking resemblance. “He looks exactly him,” one user wrote. Others questioned whether the video itself was manipulated, with one comment reading, “People are saying this is AI??”Some remained sceptical of the man’s explanation. “That’s him but I don’t have enough evidence to prove it,” a user said, while another joked, “Palm Beach Pete? That sounds like a real name.”Epstein, who faced allegations of running a sex trafficking network involving underage girls, died in custody in 2019. Authorities ruled his death a suicide. Even so, unverified claims about him being alive have continued to surface online. However, there is no credible evidence to support such claims.