A 25-year-old episode of The Simpsons has resurfaced, sparking conspiracy theories among fans who believe it predicted the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The episode, titled 'The Computer Wore Menace Shoes,' originally aired in 2000 and features Homer Simpson being taken to a mysterious island after uncovering a truth about powerful people controlling the world.
In the episode, Homer launches a gossip blog and, after running out of real stories, begins spreading rumours. One false story turns out to be true, leading to his kidnapping and confinement on an island where people are sent if they 'know too much.' The island's owners tell Homer, 'No one leaves the island,' and after escaping, he writes that 'some creeps on an island somewhere are secretly running the world.'
The parallels to Epstein's case have not gone unnoticed. Epstein, a disgraced financier, was accused of sexually abusing and trafficking girls on his private islands, Little Saint James and Great Saint James. He was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in 2019. Social media users have shared clips of the episode, with one person writing, 'The Simpsons predicted Epstein might be the thing that finally breaks my brain.'
The conspiracy theories have been further fuelled by the naming of Simpsons creator Matt Groening in unredacted court documents related to Epstein. In the documents, Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre said she gave Groening a foot massage on Epstein's private jet when she was 16, though she did not allege any further misconduct. Groening has not commented on the matter.
The Simpsons has a long history of seemingly predicting real-world events, from Donald Trump's presidency to the rise of smartwatches. This latest coincidence has only added to its reputation as an oracle of future events, though sceptics argue that the show's long run and broad scope make such 'predictions' inevitable.
