Control, threats and abuse: the shocking testimony of Jeffrey Epstein’s former assistant

A woman who claims to have worked as an assistant to American financier Jeffrey Epstein has shared details with the BBC of the years she says she spent under his influence, describing the relationship as a system built on psychological, emotional and financial control.

The woman, identified by the pseudonym Anya to protect her identity, says she lived for several years in one of Epstein’s Manhattan apartments, where other women who worked for him also stayed.

According to her account, a few days after Epstein’s death in 2019, his brother Mark Epstein asked her to leave the apartment. Mark Epstein has previously denied any knowledge of his brother’s criminal activities.

Anya says she is still trying to come to terms with what she experienced during those years under the financier’s influence. She describes his control as a form of abuse that was not always visible.

“I am still trying to accept that I was abused for years. The chains were not visible, but they were there,” she said.

According to her, Epstein had created a tight circle of women who depended on him in many aspects of life, and their decisions were controlled by him.

“He was like the leader of a cult. Everything revolved around him,” Anya stated.

She says it all began when she was a model in Europe. Born in Russia and raised in a family that valued education, she had built a career in the fashion industry and worked for well-known brands such as Fendi and Chanel.

According to her, she was introduced to Epstein through model scout Daniel Siad, who had promised her new opportunities in the fashion world. At the time, Anya thought she was facing an important career opportunity.

“I used to wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t walked into the agency that day. Today I believe it was a planned trap,” she said.

Daniel Siad’s lawyer has previously denied that his client knew about Epstein’s criminal activities.

Their first meeting took place in Epstein’s apartment in Paris. Anya says she did not feel threatened because other women were present. According to her, Epstein showed interest in her personal life, family and ambitions, creating the impression that he understood and supported her.

She recalls that for months he kept her connected through promises of opportunities in the fashion industry, while simultaneously controlling her appearance and commenting on her physical look.

According to her testimony, for nearly a year she tried to meet the body standards Epstein demanded, believing it would help her career.

Later, she discovered that some of the promises of modeling contracts had not been real and that she had been kept hoping under false pretenses.

“I realized that everything had been a very sophisticated manipulation,” she said.

Anya also recounts that after a meeting with Epstein in Palm Beach, where he was serving an earlier sentence, she experienced a situation she describes as sexual abuse. According to her, the reactions of people around her made her doubt her own experience.

She says that this very insecurity and emotional manipulation were among the factors that kept her tied to Epstein for a long time.