Jennifer Araoz has alleged she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by the late Jeffrey Epstein at his New York townhouse when she was 14 and 15, including a 2002 forcible rape.
In the wake of his alleged suicide, Araoz filed a lawsuit against his estate, his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell and three other unnamed female household staff members.
According to NBC News, Araoz alleges she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Epstein at his New York City townhouse, including a forcible rape that happened in 2002.
She first disclosed the alleged abuse publicly in an exclusive “Today” show interview with Savannah Guthrie of NBC News on July 10, the very same day she filed papers in New York state court saying she intended to sue Epstein.
In her complaint filed Wednesday, Araoz alleged Maxwell and the staffers “conspired with each other to make possible and otherwise facilitate the sexual abuse and rape of Plaintiff.”
During a call with reporters, Araoz said, “Today is my first step towards reclaiming my power.”
She continued, “Jeffrey Epstein and his network of enablers stole from me. They robbed me of my youth, my identity, my innocence, my self-worth. For too long, they escaped accountability. I am here today because I intend to change that.”