Epstein files don’t reveal Leonardo DiCaprio ate 70 pounds of ‘child meat’

In February 2026, a rumor circulated online that documents related to the case of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein proved that actor Leonardo DiCaprio consumed “over 70 pounds” of “child meat” and discussed a cannibal diet in emails with filmmaker Woody Allen. Social media users framed the allegation as emerging from a batch of Epstein files the Department of Justice shared on Jan. 30, 2026.

For example, one Feb. 21 Facebook post read (archived): “New Epstein files reveal that Leonardo DiCaprio ate over 70 pounds of ‘child meat’ as part of a cannibalism diet. The files expose DiCaprio swapping emails with Woody Allen where he brags about being a full-blown cannibal.”

Versions of the claim also spread on X, Instagram and other platforms.

In short, although the DOJ’s Jan. 30 document release includes references to DiCaprio, nothing in the materials supports claims that he was involved in cannibalism or ate “child meat.” One example of the actor featuring in the files is an email mentioning both DiCaprio and filmmaker Woody Allen, but it was not written by either man and does not show them exchanging messages with each other, let alone “bragging” about cannibalism. While the files do contain references to cannibalism and ritualistic sacrifice, they are not linked to DiCaprio. 

Because the rumor’s central allegations are not supported by the content of the released files or any credible evidence, we rated the claim false. 

Origin of rumor

A website called The People’s Voice — a rebranded version of NewsPunch, a website with a long history of publishing false information — appeared to be the source of the cannibalism allegation. On Feb. 20, the site published an article titled, “Epstein Files Reveal Leonardo DiCaprio Ate 70 Pounds of Child Meat on ‘Cannibal Diet.’”

The story claims that “coded language” in the newly released files reveals a “cannibal operation” involving DiCaprio and others. It asserts that the files contain references to “jerky,” “cream cheese baby” and other supposed food-related code words. The article also alleges that DiCaprio swapped emails with Allen about being on a “cannibal diet.” (Snopes has previously examined claims about references to “jerky” in the Epstein files and found no evidence they referred to cannibalism.)

The People’s Voice article does not provide verifiable citations to specific DOJ documents demonstrating that DiCaprio consumed “70 pounds” of anything or that he exchanged cannibalism-related emails with Allen. Rather, it presents sensational interpretations of unrelated excerpts. In the body of the article, it claims: “Epstein files reveal DiCaprio helped Epstein eat through 70 pounds of child meat in a two-week period.” However, no document identifier or page number is provided to substantiate that statement.

The article also mentions a separate rumor that Epstein ordered sulfuric acid to dissolve human remains as part of a “child-trafficking-to-consumption pipeline.” Snopes previously investigated that claim and found that while sulfuric acid purchases were documented in the Epstein files, there is no evidence it was used to dissolve human remains.

In addition to the written article, the article links to a video clip showing conspiracy theorist and Infowars host Alex Jones claiming there was a “huge email list” showing DiCaprio and Allen discussing cannibalism and a “human” meat diet. Jones did not display any emails or document identifiers to support the allegation and the clip provided no verifiable sourcing that would allow viewers to confirm that such an exchange existed.

Where DiCaprio’s name appears in files

A review of the DOJ’s released materials shows that DiCaprio’s name appears in several places, but not in connection with cannibalism.

One file, labeled “EFTA00821172,” includes a message reading: “when are you in new york, do you think leo dicaprio would want to have dinner with woody.” The email was not written by DiCaprio or Allen and does not show them corresponding with each other. It solely references the possibility of a dinner and was sent by an email address owned by Epstein.

(www.justice.gov)

Another email from the DOJ release references DiCaprio indirectly through his longtime representative. It also contains no suggestion of any criminal conduct. In that message, a person wrote: “Ask aroung about Ken Sunshine…very calm cool guy. Reps Leo diCaprio for years and much more serious institutions and people. I can call him for you whenever you want. This misinformation will escalate….xoxo Peg.”

In a 2020 FBI interview summary with an unnamed individual, DiCaprio’s name appeared in a passage reading: “EPSTEIN told [REDACTED] that he had an island and his friends were actors, including LEONARDO DICAPRIO.” This reflects an allegation that Epstein name-dropped actors when speaking to a third party. It does not show DiCaprio communicating with Epstein or participating in any crimes.

Other mentions of DiCaprio in the DOJ documents are equally unrelated to any criminal allegations and appear as media or event references, such as an item titled, “Exclusive! Django Unchained Teaser Trailer Premiere,” and an invitation for a private screening of a film featuring DiCaprio.

All in all, the actor did not author any of the cited documents or emails and none of them showed him communicating in his own words. Rather, they contain third-party references to him, typically in the context of celebrity name-dropping, networking outreach or entertainment coverage. The documents that mention DiCaprio do not describe cannibalism or “child meat,” and they provide no evidence tying him to such conduct.

Snopes has also investigated a claim that the DOJ’s January 2026 Epstein document release references cannibalism and accuses Epstein or his inner circle of engaging in “ritualistic sacrifice.” We confirmed that certain documents contain such allegations, including unverified claims from a purported FBI interview, but the records themselves indicate those accusations were not supported by corroborating evidence. We also debunked a separate false rumor that the DOJ documents contain evidence that comedian Ellen DeGeneres is a cannibal.