The Best People with Nicolle Wallace

Episode: Best of the Best: Jess Michaels Survived Epstein. Now She’s Speaking Up

Date: November 24, 2025
Guests: Jess Michaels (Epstein Survivor & Advocate), Jennifer Freeman (Attorney/Advocate)

Episode Overview

This special “Best of the Best” re-release centers on the powerful story and advocacy of Jess Michaels, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse. Jess, joined by her lawyer Jennifer Freeman, shares her firsthand account of abuse, her long road to healing, and her crusade for transparency and justice as new calls to release the Epstein files resurface. The episode explores the enduring trauma of sexual violence, the systemic failures that protected abusers, and why survivor voices—and women’s leadership—are crucial to forging real accountability.

Main Discussion Themes and Key Segments

1. The Human Toll of Epstein & Maxwell (02:03–04:47; 13:59–15:43)

• Jess speaks openly about being recruited by a trusted roommate into Epstein’s orbit, detailing the manipulation, environment, and the moment Epstein assaulted her.
• She underscores how institutional complicity—by powerful men and women alike—turned survivors into “jokes and playthings,” enabling years of abuse.

Memorable Quote:

“Literally all of these powerful men and women were looking at us as toys and as jokes and as playthings and didn't see fit to tell anyone or try to stop it.”
— Jess Michaels (02:03)

Notable Segment:
Jess describes seeing an illustration from Epstein’s “birthday book” and being retraumatized (11:32–12:47), underlining how survivor trauma is ongoing and easily reignited.

2. Courage, Healing, and Finding Words (03:05–04:47; 37:41–39:18)

• Jess shares in detail how talking about her trauma was initially physically and mentally overwhelming—stomachaches, headaches, and dissociation—but through years of intentional therapy, she has “rewired” herself to speak out.
• She discusses her “mission” to make public the realities of both trauma and survival, and how a therapist connected to her hometown of Newtown (site of Sandy Hook) became pivotal in her healing.

Jess on Healing:

“I've literally been rewiring my brain and healing that injury for the last five years, purposefully, because I know that's the part that people miss in A Survivor's Story.” (04:16)

On Trust and Therapy:

“My therapist is from Sandy Hook…there's nothing I'm gonna be able to tell this woman that is going to be shocking for her and I could trust her with the depth of these horrific things.” (38:38)

3. The Cost of Complicity and Systemic Betrayal (16:32–20:10)

• Both Jess and Jennifer discuss the depth of institutional betrayal: law enforcement and government agencies were repeatedly warned, beginning in 1996, but failed to act.
• The trauma of survivors is deepened and perpetuated by denial, cover-ups, and lack of acknowledgment.

Jennifer Freeman:

“In 1996, Maria Farmer came forward, went to the FBI, told the FBI that she had been sexually assaulted by Epstein and Maxwell... What did the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation do? Absolutely nothing, which created one of the largest failures of law enforcement in US history.” (18:05)

Jess on Accountability:

“Trauma isn't the event. It's the absence of an empathetic witness.” (17:19, referencing Peter Levine)

4. Community and Survivor Advocacy (25:05–28:57)

• Jess describes meeting other survivors as “extremely healing,” creating not a “Kumbaya” togetherness but a “powerful circle of fire”—a sense of fierce collective purpose.
• The episode highlights the ripple effect of survivors supporting and inspiring each other, creating momentum and hope for change.

Jess:

“We're not children anymore... We're coming back here in a way that is as adult women now who are just done and ready and really fighting together.” (26:37)

5. Trauma’s Blast Radius & Lasting Impact (32:11–35:13)

• Jess details the “blast radius” of trauma—losing her career and health, strained relationships, and decades of isolation before realizing she was not alone.
• The segment quantifies the damage per survivor as “at least $122,000” (CDC), and emphasizes thousands may have been affected.

Jess:

“Within three months, I had so much anxiety and insomnia and depression, I had to leave New York. I lost my career trajectory within six months...” (32:51)

6. What Does Justice Look Like? (35:13–41:26)

• Jess calls for “institutional courage,” policy reform, and a public commitment to changing laws and attitudes around sexual violence.
• Both guests argue justice must include releasing the files and records, ending excuses for delay, and allowing survivors to seek redress—sometimes even anonymously.

Jennifer Freeman:

“Justice includes accountability. Accountability includes releasing the records, releasing the files, finding out what happened… It’s important… to understand the depth of this negligence so that we can not do it again.” (40:51)

7. Breaking the Culture of Shame (44:28–46:48)

• Jess wants culture to shift so that victims of sexual violence never feel shame—perpetrators do. The “#MeToo” movement increased awareness, but Jess calls for deeper understanding of sexual assault as an injury that needs care, not interrogation.

Jess:

"I think the MeToo movement was incredibly successful at making us aware that we weren't alone. The place where I feel like we're at now is we're all saying, me too, and now what's next?" (45:01)

8. Systems, Power, and the Role of Women (49:36–52:16)

• As the conversation turns to the current political climate and the (lack of) transparency from male power brokers, Jess and Jennifer argue that progress depends on women in power standing up and demanding action.
• Jess makes a passionate plea for mothers and all women to advocate and push for accountability, stressing that sexual violence is a nonpartisan issue.

Jess:

“I think that if you were to ask me what demographic do I think can make the most difference? I think moms. Moms understand this. Moms are hurting with us. And it doesn't matter what political party they are. This is a nonpartisan issue when you're talking about child sex trafficking and sexual assault." (51:00)

Jennifer Freeman:

“And these women are not going away. These women are motivated and they're smart and they care deeply about this. And this is their time to come forward. And they're here and they're not going anywhere.” (52:01)

Standout Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On culture and shame:
  “How do you begin to turn the culture so that after a crime of sexual violence is carried out by a powerful man against an innocent woman, the woman never feels any shame. The man does.”
  — Nicole Wallace (44:28)

• On legal barriers and hope:
  “Not yet. It feels like there are the elements of feeling different. And I have hope. I really do… But I don’t yet see the actions that are going to back that up.”
  — Jennifer Freeman (23:15)

• On survivor solidarity:
  “It was less Kumbaya… more like just powerful circle of fire. It felt very bonding, it felt very safe.”
  — Jess Michaels (26:29)

Useful Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jess’s story of recruitment & abuse: 04:55–13:59
• Reactions to Epstein’s “birthday book:” 11:32–13:59
• Systemic betrayal & accountability: 16:32–20:10
• Collective survivor advocacy: 25:05–28:57
• The cost and reach of trauma: 32:11–35:13
• What justice means to survivors: 35:13–41:26
• Jennifer Freeman on the lawsuit & records: 41:26–44:28
• Changing culture and shame: 44:28–46:48
• Who can make a difference—women and mothers: 49:36–52:16

Tone & Takeaway

The episode is candid, raw, and imbued with compassion, outrage, and the hard-won hope of survivor-driven advocacy. Jess’s openness and Jennifer’s systemic insight create a call to action for transparency, policy change, and cultural transformation—anchored by the belief that women’s voices and leadership are the best hope for lasting change.

Final note from Nicole Wallace:

“Jess, you are. You are a force. You're a force for good…You're an inspiration. So thank you.” (52:17)

This episode is essential for understanding the ongoing human impact of Epstein and Maxwell’s crimes, the failures of our institutions, and the fierce determination of survivors and allies to change the culture and the laws—for good.