Elon Musk’s father, Errol Musk, has stirred controversy by asserting that Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, is still alive. In a prime-time interview broadcast on Russian state television, which is under the control of Vladimir Putin, the 79-year-old repeated conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s death. Epstein was discovered dead in his cell on August 10, 2019, as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges, a case that sparked widespread speculation.

While New York City’s chief medical examiner officially determined Epstein’s death as a suicide, various conspiracy theories have persisted over the years. Errol Musk dismissed the official narrative, stating, “In my opinion, it’s absurd to think that he is dead. It’s ridiculous.” Despite eliciting groans from the studio audience, he continued, claiming that prison guards reported Epstein was swapped out the night before his alleged suicide, and noted that surveillance cameras were conveniently non-operational while guards reportedly slept during the incident.

Errol Musk, currently visiting Russia, has previously expressed admiration for the country’s leadership, saying last year that “as a family… we are a little bit in awe of Mr. Putin.” Recently, he was spotted attending a Russian Orthodox Easter midnight service at a Moscow cathedral, an event also attended by President Putin. Observers noted that the Russian leader appeared weary and tired, with heavy makeup as he joined the service.

Putin’s annual appearance at the Christ the Saviour Cathedral near the Kremlin, to mark Orthodox Easter, came soon after he called a 32-hour ceasefire in the war – which his own troops violated. The Easter ceasefire was broken by Russia after it attacked Ukrainian positions with drones on Saturday. Ukraine’s military command reported nearly 470 Russian violations of the truce. In a festive message at the Sunday service, Putin said: ‘The great holiday of Easter fills the hearts of millions of people with sincere joy, faith in the all-conquering power of life, in the triumph of love, goodness, and justice, and unites us around centuries-old paternal traditions, undeniable spiritual, moral values, and ideals.’

As his troops broke his declared ceasefire, he praised ‘our heroes – the participants and veterans of the special military operation’. The service was also attended by Elon Musk’s father Errol, 79, who is a regular visitor to Russia. Errol Musk has previously praised Putin and even blamed his son for falling out with President Donald Trump. He is in Russia on a two week trip focusing on ‘research projects with Russian scientists’, according to Moscow Times. President Putin on Thursday declared a 32-hour ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter weekend, ordering Russian forces to halt hostilities from 4pm on Saturday until the end of Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised to abide by the ceasefire, describing it as an opportunity to build on peace initiatives. But he warned there would be a swift military response to any violations. Russia quickly violated their own ceasefire after attacking Ukrainian positions with drones on Saturday evening, as Serhii Kolesnychenko, a communications officer for Ukraine’s 148th Separate Artillery Brigade, said: ‘The ceasefire is not being observed by the Russian side.’