Former French model Juliette G. has revealed how it took her years to understand the circumstances that led to her encounter with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a New York bedroom.
Now 43, she is one of two former models accusing French scouting agent Daniel Siad of grooming young women under the guise of offering international modelling opportunities, allegedly with the intention of introducing them to potential abusers.
Her account is part of a broader wave of testimonies emerging in the wake of the global MeToo movement, which has intensified scrutiny of abuse and exploitation across industries.
Speaking to AFP, Juliette said she has since been able to identify what she described as “stages” of manipulation that preceded her trip to the United States.
“These men, through manipulation, conduct tests to see how far a young woman will give in,” she said.
Juliette said the process began in 2004 when she was 21, describing her initial contact with Siad on a Paris street as a “targeting” stage. He reportedly approached her, asked if she was a model, and offered vague “professional opportunities” in the United States.
She said she agreed to proceed without asking many questions, later receiving a plane ticket and an address in New York. She added that she felt reassured after her modelling agency confirmed they were aware of Siad.
Upon arrival in New York, she went to an address on Madison Avenue, where she briefly encountered Epstein—whose identity she had not been informed of beforehand.
Epstein, who later became one of the most infamous figures in modern criminal history, was convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor and later faced renewed global scrutiny over a wider network of alleged abuse before his death in 2019.
Siad has denied all allegations made against him.
Juliette and other accusers say their experiences highlight how alleged grooming networks operated within the modelling industry, raising ongoing concerns about safeguarding and accountability.
