Who She Is
Jennifer Araoz grew up in Queens, New York, in poverty, and lost her father when she was 12. She was a freshman at a performing arts high school in Manhattan, aspiring to be a Broadway actress, when she was first approached outside her school in 2001 — at age 14 — by a female recruiter who told her Epstein was ‘a caring person who would help her with her career.’ She is now a makeup artist.
What She Says Happened
Contact with Epstein began with friendly visits, gifts, wine, and \ payments. Over several months, visits escalated to Araoz giving Epstein massages in her underwear. When she was 15, in the fall of 2002, Epstein raped her. She never returned after that day. She blamed herself for years: ‘I was obligated, like that’s just what you’re supposed to do. So I really did not know better.’ Coming forward in 2019: ‘I am here because today is my first step towards reclaiming my power. Jeffrey Epstein and his network of enablers stole from me. They robbed me of my youth, my identity, my innocence and my self-worth.’ At the 2019 court hearing after Epstein’s death: ‘Even though this weak, evil coward tried to steal our childhood… he will never steal our inner strength, and never steal our voice.’
What She Did About It
In July 2019, Araoz filed a petition in Manhattan Supreme Court seeking to identify her recruiter. In August 2019, after New York’s Child Victims Act took effect, she filed a civil lawsuit against Epstein’s estate and named enablers including Ghislaine Maxwell, Lesley Groff, and Cimberly Espinosa — later amended to include 20+ corporate entities connected to Epstein. She participated in the 2019 court victim impact hearings and has continued to speak publicly about her experience.
Timeline
- 2001: Recruited outside her Manhattan performing arts high school at age 14
- 2001-2002: Abuse escalated over months of ‘friendly’ visits and payments
- Fall 2002: Raped by Epstein at age 15; never returned
- July 2019: Filed petition to identify her recruiter; gave NBC Today interview
- August 2019: Filed civil lawsuit after New York’s Child Victims Act took effect
- August 2019: Participated in court victim impact hearings after Epstein’s death
Sources
- NBC News / Today Show: Jennifer Araoz’s exclusive interview with Savannah Guthrie (July 10, 2019)
- CNN: Jennifer Araoz says Jeffrey Epstein raped her at 15 (July 2019)
- DOJ SDNY: United States v. Ghislaine Maxwell — federal sex trafficking prosecution
- Giuffre v. Maxwell, 1:15-cv-07433 — CourtListener, civil case with unsealed depositions (2024)
- Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich — Netflix documentary (2020) covering survivor accounts
Information compiled from public court records, news reporting, and published accounts. This page documents survivor testimony as a matter of public record.