Former Epstein Assistant Reveals Years of Abuse in Congressional Testimony
Testimony of Sarah Kellen
Sarah Kellen, a former aide to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has disclosed to a congressional committee the extensive sexual and psychological abuse she endured at his hands, even during his incarceration in Florida. Kellen, who was once regarded as one of Epstein's closest associates, provided her testimony to the House Oversight Committee last month, with the transcript made public recently. Now 46, Kellen recounted feeling "trapped in Jeffrey Epstein's world" for over twenty years. She described how he groomed her, subjected her to sexual and psychological manipulation, and left her unable to distinguish her own thoughts from his. "It felt like living with a constant virtual-reality headset on," she stated.
Raised in a Jehovah's Witness environment, Kellen explained that women were expected to "submit to and obey men." She first encountered Epstein under the pretense of a modeling opportunity linked to Victoria's Secret. "I had just changed into my bra and underwear, thinking it was appropriate for a Victoria's Secret casting, and I remember turning around for him to see my body," she recounted.
Kellen later became an assistant to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, whom she described as "mean and belittling," yet also fearful of Epstein. "I witnessed him reduce Ghislaine to tears, despite her being the strongest, coldest woman I knew," Kellen testified. Initially, she worked without compensation until Epstein formally hired her. "After months of unpaid work, he instructed me to draw him a bath on his private island, then ordered me to undress and join him, saying, 'The job is yours,'" she revealed.
Beginning her role as Epstein's assistant in 2001, Kellen earned around $25,000 annually while being expected to be available at all times. "I understood the reality; I was being paid, in part, to be raped," she stated. She alleged that the abuse persisted for years across various locations, including Epstein's private jet and his island, Little Saint James. "This was not a vacation spot; it was a place of isolation," she emphasized.
Kellen also recounted an alleged assault at a Palm Beach gym, where Epstein "blasted the music so loud that no one could hear, choked me, and violently raped me." She claimed that even while serving an 18-month sentence in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor, Epstein maintained control over her. "He even Skyped me from the Palm Beach County Stockade, instructing me to undress for him on camera," she said, recalling an unexpected call during his incarceration.
Kellen suggested that Epstein may have received special treatment while in custody, as he was allowed to spend much of his sentence working from an office outside the jail. She informed lawmakers that the years of abuse and coercive control had resulted in her suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. "Due to the years of abuse, constant sleep deprivation, and coercive control inflicted by Jeffrey and Ghislaine, I struggled to identify my own emotions, differentiate reality from Jeffrey's manipulated version, and was hindered from making decisions or asserting my agency when it mattered most," she explained.
This testimony marked the first occasion Kellen publicly alleged sexual assault by Epstein. Previously, court documents identified her as a close aide who allegedly acted as Epstein's scheduler and a recruiter for young women and girls. Epstein was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges in 2019 and was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial, with his death ruled a suicide.