More than 40 Epstein survivors and models have signed letters calling for probes into the modeling industry's alleged role in facilitating Jeffrey Epstein's abuse. The letters, addressed to officials including New York Attorney General Letitia James, highlight systemic vulnerabilities that enabled exploitation. Model Alliance, which organized the effort, seeks accountability beyond individual perpetrators.
Over 40 current and former models, including Epstein survivors, have endorsed letters sent to New York Attorney General Letitia James, California Representative Ro Khanna, and Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie. The missives demand state and federal investigations into the modeling industry's potential complicity in Epstein's crimes, as outlined by the nonprofit Model Alliance, which spearheaded the initiative this week following the 2026 release of Epstein files. Signatories include Model Alliance founder Sara Ziff, Beverly Johnson, Lisa Phillips, Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, Jasmine Lobe, and Teddy Quinlivan. The letters accuse figures such as MC2 founder Jean-Luc Brunel of recruiting and grooming young models for Epstein, portraying the industry as a pipeline that exposed vulnerable teenagers to predators with power and wealth. 'Jeffrey Epstein was not a rogue outlier, but a beneficiary of–and a participant in–this system,' the letters state. They further question 'if and how the modeling industry functioned as a recruitment and referral pipeline–sending aspiring teenage models to Jeffrey Epstein and other men with power, wealth, and well-documented histories of abuse.' Sara Ziff told Vogue, 'The Epstein files expose a darker truth about the modeling industry: What looks like glamour on the outside was, for many of us, a system that routinely put teenagers into dangerous and exploitative situations.' She added that accountability must target enabling systems to safeguard future generations. While Ghislaine Maxwell remains the primary Epstein associate in prison, recent resignations linked to Epstein ties include those of Prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, former Goldman Sachs chief legal officer Kathryn Ruemmler, and ex-Norwegian foreign minister Borge Brende. Model Alliance aims for these letters to spur further convictions.
