Etsy; Teespring; Amazon; TeeChip; Redbubble
- Merchandise inspired by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his recent death have popped up across platforms where consumers can sell their own products.
- Shopify and eBay have both taken down such listings, as the Verge reported, but Epstein-inspired t-shirts and mugs can still be found on Amazon, Etsy, Teespring, Redbubble, and other marketplaces.
- Many of these websites have "acceptable use" policies that restrict the selling and distribution of merch that reference human tragedy and death.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
T-shirts, mugs, and other merchandise inspired by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the many conspiracy theories surrounding his death are widely available for purchase across online marketplaces.
At least six such websites where users can list and sell their own merchandise have listings for Epstein-inspired merchandise, from t-shirts depicting a bullseye over Epstein’s mugshot, to mugs and tote bags that ask, "Who killed Jeffrey Epstein?"
As of Tuesday morning, Epstein-inspired merchandise was found on Amazon, Etsy, and Redbubble, as well as lesser-known marketplaces Teespring, TeeChip, and TeePublic.
Since Business Insider reached out to those six online retailers, many t-shirts and other merchandise have been taken down from the platforms or put "under review." One since-removed t-shirt on Etsy depicted Epstein as the character in the Dos Equis beer commercials — the "Most Interesting Man in the World" — with a line about Epstein’s alleged participation in sex trafficking of underage girls.
Etsy’s policies say it keeps up content with "educational, historical, or artistic value," but does not allow items that "glorify human suffering or tragedies, including items that commemorate or honor serial killers."
TeeChip
Amazon did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment about the t-shirts for sale on its site, which include a quote falsely attributed to Hillary Clinton that forwards the conspiracy theory that the Clintons had something to do with Epstein’s death in jail earlier this month. However, Amazon’s content policy doesn’t allow the selling of items that "depict a human tragedy, are directly connected with a tragedy, or treat human life satirically."
Redbubble told Business Insider in a statement it had become aware that "supportive Jeffrey Epstein-themed merchandise" had been uploaded to its site, but the products have been removed. "We will continue to monitor the marketplace and remove similar inappropriate content," Redbubble said.
Teespring said in a statement that its team would review and remove all content that is against its policies as soon as possible. "We do not promote user-generated content of this nature and find it unacceptable," Teespring told Business Insider.
TeeChip and TeePublic did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment by the time of publication.
The Verge reported Monday that similar listings were found on eBay and Shopify. EBay told Business Insider that the website has removed "a handful" of listings over the past few days, and told the Verge in a statement that the website "does not tolerate the sale of any item that seeks to profit from human suffering or tragedy."
Shopify told Business Insider it removed a store from its platform selling Epstein-inspired apparel, as its merchandise violated the company’s "acceptable use" policy.
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Source: Business Insider – pleskin@businessinsider.com (Paige Leskin)