Mystery artist creates 'Epstein Walk of Shame' stars on Austin street during SXSW

The stars feature names of Jeffrey Epstein's rich and powerful associates, with QR codes linking to case files

Mar. 15, 2026 at 4:18pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A mysterious artist installed a 'Jeffrey Epstein Walk of Shame' on a street in downtown Austin during the SXSW festival, featuring stars with the names of Epstein's wealthy and influential associates. The stars include QR codes that link to documents related to Epstein's sex trafficking case. The identity of the artist is unknown, but witnesses reported seeing a single person quickly installing the stars overnight.

Why it matters

The 'Walk of Shame' project aims to publicly shame and expose the rich and powerful individuals who were connected to Epstein's criminal enterprise. It comes as the Epstein case continues to reverberate, with new details and revelations emerging about the scope of his abuse and the network of enablers around him.

The details

The 'Walk of Shame' features 31 stars installed on the sidewalk of Brazos Street in Austin, between 4th and 6th streets. Each star has a unique QR code that links to documents related to that individual's ties to Epstein. Two prominent names - former President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk - were ripped off the sidewalk by Saturday evening, but their QR codes remained. A doorman on the street said he witnessed a single person quickly installing the stars between 2-4 AM on Saturday morning.

  • The stars were installed overnight on Saturday, March 14, 2026 between 2-4 AM.
  • By Saturday evening, two of the stars had been removed from the sidewalk.

The players

Jeffrey Epstein

A disgraced financier who died by suicide in federal custody in 2019 after being arrested and charged with sex trafficking.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States, who was named on one of the stars and had his star removed from the 'Walk of Shame'.

Elon Musk

The tech billionaire and CEO of Tesla, who was also named on one of the stars and had his star removed from the 'Walk of Shame'.

Jeph Clark

A doorman on Brazos Street who witnessed the single person quickly installing the stars overnight.

Melanie Richardson

A SXSW festival badge holder and volunteer who was taking photos of the stars and expressed support for the project.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“He was putting them down really fast, with a rolling thing. Just one guy. Little victories, right?”

— Jeph Clark, Brazos Street doorman (statesman.com)

“Trump's star — I just scanned it — was six pages long.”

— Jeph Clark, Brazos Street doorman (statesman.com)

“I'm really into it. I came back to take pictures of all of them.”

— Melanie Richardson, SXSW festival badge holder and volunteer (statesman.com)

What’s next

The identity of the 'Walk of Shame' artist remains unknown, and it's unclear if more stars will be installed or if the removed stars will be replaced.

The takeaway

The 'Epstein Walk of Shame' project aims to publicly shame and expose the wealthy and powerful individuals connected to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking crimes, continuing to bring attention to the scope of his abuse and the network that enabled it, even years after his death.