These are the four accusers who have testified at Ghislaine Maxwell's trial
Prosecutors in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial have built much of their case around the testimonies of four women who have accused her of sexual abuse and grooming them for Jeffrey Epstein.
Jury deliberations began Monday for a full 30 minutes and jurors will return Tuesday at 9 a.m. The defense wrapped up their case on Friday after two days and nine witnesses, one of them former Miss Sweden and girlfriend of Epstein, Dr. Eva Andersson-Dubin. Prosecutors rested their case after two weeks and 24 witnesses. Closing arguments started Monday, led by defense attorney Laura Menninger and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe. With the jury in deliberations, a verdict may be reached before Christmas.
Maxwell is charged with six federal counts in connection to Epstein's sex-trafficking ring. She denies all the charges and all claims of wrongdoing, despite being named by all four accusers as complicit to their sexual abuse orchestrated by Epstein. When asked if she would testify, Maxwell replied, "Your honor, the government has not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt; so there is no reason for me to testify."
The testimonies of all four accusers will likely figure prominently in the jury's deliberations. During Saturday's charging conference, both defense and prosecution combed over 80-plus pages detailing the language that will be presented in charging documents and the verdict sheet on Monday.
Ahead of jury deliberations this week, here's what we know about the women who have testified and what they said about Maxwell and Epstein in court in the order they testified.
Jane Doe, Minor Victim 1
The first accuser to testify did so under the pseudonym Jane Doe and took the stand on the second day of Maxwell's trial.
Jane went over the timeline of alleged sexual abuse, beginning in 1994, when she was 14, until 1999, when she moved from New York to Los Angeles. She recalled meeting Epstein and Maxwell when she was in the eighth grade, at the Interlochen summer camp.
She testified that soon after Maxwell and Epstein befriended her at Interlochen, they invited her mother to meet them for tea in Palm Beach, Florida. The then couple told her they enjoyed mentoring younger people and Jane's mother became "enamored" by their wealth, affluent lifestyle and connections.
At first, Maxwell and Epstein would take her to movies and shopping. She remembered they took her to Victoria's Secret once and picked out white cotton briefs.
Jane testified that the first time Epstein made sexual contact with her was at the pool house of his Palm Beach home. He sat on a couch or futon, pulled Jane down on him and proceeded to masturbate, she testified. He then walked off to the bathroom while she said she was "frozen in fear."
She recalled a different occasion where she said Maxwell and Epstein removed their clothing and got into bed together while she stood there. She said they began fondling each other and giggling. Jane said she was asked to take her top off and remembered there were "hands everywhere" and Epstein masturbated while Maxwell kissed him. (Jane was still 14 when the alleged incident occurred.)
Jane said she was taught by Maxwell and Epstein how to massage Epstein and what his preferences were. She alleged that Epstein would use sex toys on her against her will and she said she was made to participate in group sex that centered around Epstein and involved other women. She testified that Maxwell would be present sometimes during these incidents, which occurred when she was between the ages of 14 and 16.
Maxwell would also arrange travel to New York and his ranch in New Mexico for Jane at Epstein's behest, Jane testified. Jane's voice cracked on the stand as she described that Maxwell was present during one trip to New Mexico where she recalled not wanting to see Epstein but being summoned to his bedroom.
Jane said Epstein ruined her self-esteem and self-worth. She testified that she finally stopped all contact with him in 2002 when she was 22 and engaged. The engagement was later called off. Jane said she confided in a boyfriend who dated from 2007 to 2013 about her experiences and who was referred to as Matt and who also testified in the case. She said she confided in him after the news reports came out about Epstein and Maxwell.
She told the jury she chose to testify under a pseudonym because she was afraid of the stigma associated with sexual abuse and to protect her husband and children.
Defense attorney Laura Menninger began her cross-examination by asking Jane to explain why she had waited two decades to come forward with her allegations.
Jane said she was introduced to Donald Trump when she was 14 years old on a visit to Mar-a-Lago with Epstein. She said she had flown on Epstein's private planes with various people including Prince Andrew, Epstein's mother, his brother Mark Epstein and Epstein's chef.
Maxwell's defense attorneys had said in their opening statement that they planned to focus on "memory, manipulation and money," and they used this three-pronged approach to point out holes in various statements given by Jane Doe over the years. During redirect, Jane noted that the statements she gave the FBI and other officials did not go in sequential order of her abuse and she was asked about different topics and details in each meeting.
Toward the end of her testimony, she broke down crying after prosecutor Alison Moe asked if she would have traded the money she received from the Epstein victims compensation fund to have never been abused. It took Jane a minute to collect herself as she wiped away tears and covered her face with a tissue.
"I mean, it — oh, I wish I would have never received that money in the first place because of what happened," she said. "You know, when you're seeking some sort of closure, and I guess in, you know, laws in this country, compensation is the only thing you can get to try to move on with your life and for the, you know, pain and abuse and suffering that I received, and all the out-of-pocket money I paid to try to make this go away and to try to fix myself."
Kate, Witness 3
The second accuser who took the stand went by the pseudonym Kate. Now 44, she testified about meeting Maxwell in her London home at the age of 17 on two separate occasions where she said that at Maxwell's request, she massaged Jeffrey Epstein. After the massage, Epstein initiated sexual contact and performed a sexual act with Kate. She was not asked to go into detail because she had reached the age of consent in London, where the alleged sexual contact occurred.
She testified that following the sexualized massages with Epstein, Maxwell would ask her if she had fun and if it had been good for her. Maxwell seemed pleased with Kate and because of her troubled home life, she craved the attention Maxwell gave her.
Kate testified that traveled to Epstein's Palm Beach, New York City and private island homes. For these trips, she said Maxwell would inform her of her flights and she traveled commercial.
She alleged sexualized massages happened at the aforementioned locations, including Maxwell's London home, and Kate said Maxwell was always present. She said Maxwell also asked her to find other girls to introduce to Epstein under the following instructions: "You know what he likes, cute young pretty like you". Kate said she never introduced the couple to any girls.
Kate testified that in conversation, Maxwell would tell Kate that Epstein needed to have sex three times a day. When asked about Maxwell's demeanor during these talks, Kate said she often sounded like a schoolgirl and talked as if she were younger than teenage Kate which she found odd.
Kate believes she was 18 years old when she traveled to Epstein's Palm Beach, Florida, and upon entering her room she found a schoolgirl outfit on her bed. She sought out Maxwell to ask her why it was on her bed and Maxwell told her "I thought it would be fun for you to bring Jeff his tea in this outfit." Kate said she obediently changed into the outfit and brought Epstein, who was working out by the pool, a tray. After his workout, he allegedly initiated sexual contact and performed a sexual act with Kate. She said Maxwell lavished her with praise afterwords, telling Kate she was a good girl and one of his "favorites."
Kate said she wanted to maintain a relationship with Maxwell and thought she was going to be her friend. She said she did not want to admit to herself what was actually happening.
One of Maxwell's attorneys, Bobbi Sternheim, began her cross-examination with the question, "Maxwell is everything you wanted to be, correct?" Kate replied, "She appeared to be."
Sternheim noted that Kate publicly testified in 2019 and gave an interview with six other accusers on national television. Sternheim called out the women in the interview as a "sisterhood of accusers against Jeffrey Epstein," to which Kate replied "I don't know how it came across to other people."
On redirect, she shared that "aside from the events that occurred this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do." Kate reiterated the first time she saw Epstein naked Maxwell was present and standing next to her, driving the point home her testimony that Maxwell was complicit. Kate says she still has nightmares about what happened to her, and the money she received from the Epstein victims' compensation fund was recognition of her pain and meant she could try to recover and help others recover.
Carolyn, Minor Victim 4
Carolyn was an acquaintance of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who, she testified, at the age of 14, accompanied her to Epstein's Palm Beach home where both girls gave him a massage. She said Virginia had sexual intercourse with Epstein after the massage while she watched. Following the encounter, she says, both girls were paid between $300-$400.
Carolyn testified that she remained in touch with Epstein and was booked by either him, Maxwell or an assistant to give Epstein over 100 massages, at least two to three times a week. She said Maxwell arranged transportation to Epstein's Palm Beach home on numerous occasions and even paid her twice after Carolyn gave Epstein sexualized massages. She said this went on while she was between the ages of 14 to 18.
During her testimony, she also said Maxwell allegedly groped her once while she was setting up the massage table in Epstein's bathroom. She was 14 at the time and she testified that she was familiar enough with what was expected of her that she had removed all of her clothing. She said Maxwell entered the room and touched her breast, buttocks and hips and said she had "a great body for Mr. Epstein and his friends."
Carolyn described two separate occasions when she was giving Epstein a sexualized massage and he pressed a button on his phone and a girl would walk into the room. The first time, she said a girl with a slender body and blonde hair perfomed sexual acts with her and Epstein. Another time, she said a dark-haired girl came in and similar sexual contact was made.
She testified that on numerous occasions, she was asked by Epstein to recruit friends her age or younger. She said she replied that she didn't hang out with younger people but did eventually introduce three of her friends to him. Carolyn said she was paid $600, a higher rate than her usual $300 to $400, for bringing along a friend to participate in sexualized massages.
Carolyn testified she had a history of drug abuse and had been abused as a child. She said her mother was an alcoholic, and growing up, Carolyn said she had been molested by her grandfather. Despite learning about her troubled past, neither Maxwell or Epstein had qualms about her, she said.
Annie Farmer, Minor Victim 2
Annie Farmer was the fourth and final accuser to take the stand and the only accuser who has waived her right to anonymity. She and her sister Maria Farmer have been vocal about the sexual abuse they say each experienced at the hands of Epstein and Maxwell and are credited among the first women to come forward to authorities to report Epstein for sexual abuse.
Annie said she was 16 years old when she first met Epstein in December 1995 while on a trip to visit her sister Maria in New York. Maria was an artist who was employed by Epstein at the time and he had offered to fly Annie in as a Christmas present to her.
She testified that the first time Epstein touched her against her will occured in a movie theater. Epstein took both sisters to see a movie and sat between them. She testified he reached over and held her hand, interlocking their fingers, began to caress her hand and arm and rubbed her foot.
Annie said she was shocked and surprised at the behavior and noted he would pause whenever Maria spoke to him, only to resume when he believed she was no longer paying attention. Annie didn't share what occurred with Maria out of fear she would lose her job and opportunities Epstein could provide her within the art world.
A journal entry penned by Annie after this trip and presented in court revealed she felt conflicted over Epstein touching her and it appeared that she wanted to believe he was a nice guy.
Annie testified that in April 1996, Epstein invited her to his New Mexico property after several phone calls reassuring her mother it was for a co-ed retreat for 20-25 prospective college students he was interested in helping. She said Epstein referred to Maxwell as his "wife"— the pair never married — and said she would charpeone the girls. Annie set off for the weekend in New Mexico and quickly realized she was the only student present.
Annie said she was taken to the movies where Epstein once again held and caressed her hand, not bothering to hide this from Maxwell who was sitting next to them. During the weekend, she said Maxwell instructed Annie on how to massage Epstein's feet to his liking. Annie testified that she remembers feeling uncomfortable and wanting it to be over, yet she followed Maxwell's directions.
Annie said that Maxwell asked her afterward if she had ever had a massage and offered to give her one the next day. She said that it was during this massage that Maxwell allegedly lifted the sheet and massaged Annie's breasts.
Annie was the second victim to testify that Maxwell touched her breasts – Carolyn also said Maxwell had "fondled" her breasts when she was 14.
Annie testified that the same weekend, Epstein crawled into bed with her to cuddle and she got up and hid in the bathroom to get away from him.
Jane said she confided in a boyfriend who she dated from 2007 to 2013 about her experiences and who was referred to as Matt and who also testified in the case. She said she confided in him after the news reports came out about Epstein and Maxwell.
Annie was the only witness who did not cry while testifying, and clearly articulated her account of how Maxwell enabled Epstein's behavior.
"I think this was all a pattern of them working on confusing my boundaries, making me question myself about what was right and what was not right and with the ultimate goal of sexually abusing me," she said.
Hours after her testimony, prosecutors rested their case.
Maxwell defense attorney Bobbi Sternheim made clear in her opening statement "this case is about memory, manipulation and money," Defense used this three-pronged approach on all four accusers by pointing out holes in the various statements they've given to government officials over the years and highlighting how much money each was paid from the Epstein victims' compensation fund. The defense presented Maxwell as an associate of Epstein who is now a "scapegoat" following Epstein's untimely death in custody August 2019.
