Former Model Alleges Grooming Pathway Led to Encounter with Epstein (5/6/26)

Summary

The Epstein Chronicles

Episode: Former Model Alleges Grooming Pathway Led to Encounter with Epstein

Host: Bobby Capucci
Date: May 6, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode examines recent accusations by former models against Daniel Syed, a French modeling scout allegedly connected to Jeffrey Epstein's abuse and trafficking network. Host Bobby Capucci analyzes new testimony, unpacks the systematic grooming tactics used within elite modeling circles, and draws connections between transnational players in Epstein’s operation. Capucci challenges the notion of Epstein as a "lone wolf," underlining the extensive web of accomplices and institutional failures that allowed abuse to continue.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Broader Criminal Network (00:59)

• Bobby recaps prior coverage on Daniel Syed and outlines his alleged role as a recruiter for Epstein and Jean-Luc Brunel.
• Argues against the portrayal of Epstein as a "lone wolf," stating:

  “This guy was obviously running a human trafficking enterprise...what you can't argue is that it was happening because according to numerous people—we're talking in the hundreds—it most certainly was.” (01:35)

• Sets the stage by framing the episode around a recent article:
  Headline: "Ex-Model Accuses French Scout of Grooming Her for Epstein" (Originally by Clara Wright for the Associated Press).

2. Juliet G’s Testimony: Stages of Grooming (03:00)

• Former French model Juliet G. shares her account of being groomed and nearly trafficked by Syed, only realizing years later how calculated the process was.
• Capucci voices skepticism towards critics who blame adult victims, emphasizing that grooming and manipulation can affect adults:

  “Even if you're an adult, you can be trafficked, you can get groomed, you can be manipulated, you can be dog walked.” (04:26)

• Outlines the grooming pipeline:
  • Targeting: Casual approach in Paris ("He asked her if she was a model…”).
  • Testing Compliance: Gauging if she would accept vague job offers without asking questions.
  • Control and Hostage-Taking: Upon arrival in New York, Epstein immediately confiscates Juliet’s passport, making her dependent and trapped.
  • Debt & Obligation: Epstein gives her $120 and access to his limousine, initiating a sense of debt without her even asking for compensation.
  • Normalization: Walking her through a gym filled with sexualized photos, subtly testing her boundaries.
  • Assault and Escape: After being coerced into a private viewing and groped, Juliet demands her passport back and escapes.
• Juliet’s motivation for speaking out is to help investigators identify Epstein’s accomplices.

3. International Web of Groomers and Accomplices (11:33)

• Capucci details the global dimension of Epstein's network, focusing on French connections under investigation:
  • Jean-Luc Brunel: Arrested in France and described as a “key cog” in Epstein’s operation; found dead in prison in 2022.
  • Gerald Marie: Former head of Elite modeling agency, accused by multiple women of sexual assault and involvement in grooming pipelines.
  • Ebba Carlsen: Swedish ex-model, now 56, shares her grooming and assault story involving Syed and Marie:
    • Emphasizes how predators leverage the aspirations of young models:

      "When you play on people’s desires, their dreams, and you offer those dreams to people, they’re going to want to think that it's true. And a lot of people are just going to fall into the trap." (13:21)

    • Describes repeated manipulation, forced reliance (monetary and emotional), and subsequent assault.
• Capucci notes how lawyers for the accused (Syed and Marie) have publicly denied all allegations.

4. Systemic Industry Failures and Institutional Inaction (14:55)

• Capucci critiques the lack of effective response from institutions, noting the absence of “MeToo” movement support at the Maxwell trial:

  “I was around during the Ghislaine Maxwell trial, and the MeToo movement was nowhere to be seen. There were no hats. Nobody showed up, nobody was backing up these women. In fact, everybody wanted to act like they didn’t exist.” (02:42)

• He also laments the lack of accountability and appetite for prosecution in the U.S. Department of Justice:

  “But unfortunately we know the DOJ does not have the desire.” (09:45)

5. Urgency and Call to Action (15:54)

• The episode ends with Capucci underscoring the necessity of ongoing investigation and public awareness:

  “It’s obvious [Epstein] was [a human trafficker]. And I think the evidence backs it all up. And I’m very interested to see what comes of this investigation as the French authorities continue to dig around looking for evidence of Jeffrey Epstein and his criminal empire.” (15:39)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bobby Capucci:

  “You think that you’re going to show up and you’re going to work for Brunel and you don’t know what’s going down? Their stories came up as part of a wider reckoning...” (02:19)

• Juliet G (via article):

  “I identified quite a few stages that led me there...these men, through manipulation, conduct tests to see how far a young woman will give in.” (03:08) “I was ashamed for a long time. Years later, I even thought about paying him back.” (07:05)

• Bobby Capucci (regarding Epstein's arrogance and abuse):

  “Imagine this dude telling anybody that they need to get into shape or they’re not good looking or they are too fat or whatever. Brother, do you have a mirror?” (08:10)

• Ebba Carlsen (via article):

  “He would attach to their desires, their longings and portray himself as some kind of savior, promising he could make them a very famous model. And they were hooked.” (13:10)

• Capucci’s summary on the modeling world:

  “The whole entire disgustingness of the modeling world dovetails directly into what Epstein was doing, especially considering he was sitting at the top of Victoria’s Secret for a very long time.” (12:49)

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:59 | Introduction to Daniel Syed and summary of prior coverage | | 02:17 | Juliet G’s testimony begins | | 04:26 | Discussion: adults as victims and grooming techniques | | 06:45 | Juliet’s experience in New York, passport confiscation | | 09:45 | Capucci’s commentary on DOJ inaction and institutional issues | | 11:33 | French modeling agents under investigation | | 13:10 | Ebba Carlsen’s account, comparing grooming tactics | | 14:55 | Systemic failure & call for continued investigation | | 15:39 | Conclusion: tying evidence to the broader case |

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Conclusion

This episode of The Epstein Chronicles delves deep into the intricacies of Epstein’s global operation, the complicit roles played by modeling insiders, and the persistent shortcomings of both legal institutions and the fashion industry. Through survivor testimony and trenchant analysis, Capucci dismantles the myth of Epstein as an isolated predator and highlights the urgent need for accountability—a call for justice that echoes throughout the episode.

Transcript

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[Podcast Host]

to save what's up everyone? And welcome to another episode of the Epstein Chronicles. A few weeks back we were talking about one of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged recruiters, a man named Daniel Siad, who was a French modeling scout who was very, very close to Epstein and Jean Luc Brunel. Well, now we're hearing from former models that he was a recruiter for Jeffrey Epstein and in fact lured several women into his clutches, including the woman that we're going to hear from today in this article. So it's really interesting to me when people try and claim that Jeffrey Epstein was a lone wolf when there's so much evidence that contradicts it. This guy was obviously running a human trafficking enterprise. Now if you want to argue the scope of it, that's fine. We don't have all the evidence one way or the other. So yeah, you can argue the scope, but what you can argue is that it was happening because according to numerous people were talking in the hundreds. It most certainly was. So today we have an article from the Southwest Iowa News and the headline X Model Accuses French Scout of of Grooming her for Epstein. And this first appeared on the Associated Press. And the author of this article is Clara Wright. Former French model Juliet G says it took years to make sense of how she ended up in a New York bedroom with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The 43 year old model is one of two ex models who have accused Daniel Syed, a French modeling scout with close ties to the late US Financier of having groomed them with the aim of introducing them to potential abusers. And Epstein had plenty of people like this around the world. Anybody that was working with Jean Luc Brunel, in my opinion, is somebody that probably engaging in human trafficking, you know, fellow travelers and all. Well, you think that you're going to show up and you're going to work for Brunel and you don't know what's going down. Their stories came up as part of a wider reckoning with rape and sexual assault in the wake of the global MeToo movement in recent years, that has seen a number of accusations in France and beyond. I don't really know if this has to do with me, too, at this point. I think this has to do with a reckoning that's been a long time coming. And I was around during the Glenn Maxwell trial, and the MeToo movement was nowhere to be seen. There were no hats. Nobody showed up, nobody was backing up these women. In fact, everybody wanted to act like they didn't exist. I identified quite a few stages that led me there. Juliet told AFP these men, through manipulation, conduct tests to see how far a young woman will give in. For Juliet, who was asked to withhold her surname to protect privacy, it all started in 2004. She was 21. Now people are going to say she was an adult. She should have known better. Well, I'll counter with, even if you're an adult, you can be trafficked, you can get groomed, you can be manipulated, you can be dog walked. Now, it's harder to prove, as we saw with Diddy, but let's not act like it's not something that happens. And let's not act like somebody like Daniel Sed wasn't out here recruiting and grooming people, adults and otherwise. Probably that was Epstein's mo. It wasn't just one thing. Right. His operation was layered. Syed, who denies the accusations against him, approached her in Paris Avenue. She calls this his targeting stage. And that's what they would do. They'd find somebody, they'd approach and they'd make small talk. Right? Oh, you're a model. You're this, you're that. Well, I got a friend. Let me tell you, he can hook you up. Why don't you give me your number and I'll put you in contact with Epstein or Brunel, whoever, and they'll take care of you. Yeah. This guy runs Victoria's Secret. Are you kidding me right now? He's gonna hook you up. Let's get that number then. Of course, they make them feel comfortable, then they normalize the abuse, and then they're off and running. He asked her if she was a model, and she said she would be interested in professional opportunities in the United States. I think he was trying to gauge whether I would accept without asking too many questions, which I did. I let things stay vague so I wouldn't come across as difficult, she said. And that's what they're looking for. They want people that are going to comply. Whether that's through fear, whether that's through, you know, getting some kind of benefit, if you will, work permit, jobs as a model, whatever it is, all of that's going to end up being used as a device to control these people. And Epstein and his operation mastered the art of control. She was soon sent a plane ticket to New York and an address in the city. She had no other information, but she felt reassured when her modeling agency said that they knew Syed. In New York, she headed to an address on Madison Avenue, where she briefly met Epstein, whose name Syed had not mentioned until then. The financier would be convicted in 2008 of soliciting sex from girls as young as 14. So Syed knew what Epstein was up to, knew what he was doing. Now, he's gonna deny it, of course. Right? But the proof is in the pudding. And with these women coming out and accusing him, I'm guessing that old Daniel here is going to have some restless nights. Epstein asked her for her passport. This, she explained, was the second stage of her grooming, hostage taking. Without her passport, she couldn't leave. And this is what Epstein did. They took the passports. They controlled these women from other countries, and if they didn't play ball, they threatened to send them back to wherever they came from. Epstein then announced that he did not have time to see her that day, but gave her $120 and said she could use his limousine to go shopping. And there it is. Right the hook. If you roll with me, I'll take care of you. Ah. Come work for me. I got you taken care of. We're gonna make sure you're in the limo. You're living the life. You're gonna get great modeling gigs, only to end up being abused. This, she said, was the third step. Now, despite never having asked for money, she was in his debt. I was ashamed for a long time. Years later, I even thought about paying him back, she added. The following day, she returned to the Madison Avenue building, hoping for a professional interview. Instead, he showed her around the premises, walking through a gym decorated with photos, zooming in on women's intimate body parts Normalization. Let's see how she deals with it. Bring it, bring her in. Let her see the pictures. Let's see the reaction. But for most people, once you're in that situation, what are you going to do? People just go with it, oh, it's obviously normal. Look at all these other pictures. Look at all these other people that did the same thing. Was it a subtle test of tolerance, she said, to see whether I would leave or accept being in such a surprising environment? Then he led her to a bedroom. My internal alarm went off, she said. I felt the need to say, I'm warning you, I'm not going to do anything. She said he told her not to worry, but that he needed to see her body, including her breasts, to be able to recommend her to modeling agencies. I hesitated, but I'd spent seven hours on a plane and they paid for my ticket. I did it, she said. Epstein groped her, she said, then declared her body was not up to the standard and she would need three months to get back into shape. Imagine this dude telling anybody that they need to get into shape or they're not good looking or they are too fat or whatever. Brother, do you have a mirror? I mean, the audacity of somebody that looks like Epstein telling these girls that they're not good enough. Juliet pretended to maul the offer, but demanded he give her back her passport. She said he rummaged around in a pile of some 20 passports and returned it to her. Juliet escaped. Epstein died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving minors. But Juliet said that she was speaking out to help investigators looking for the convicted offender's accomplices. Yo, I'm telling you, there's plenty and I think Daniel said should definitely be brought in and talked to. And if France doesn't do it, then we should do it here in America. But unfortunately we know the DOJ does not have the desire.

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[Podcast Host]

Syed, who is under investigation in France, is just one of several French men who have been accused of aiding Epstein to traffic and abuse women. French authorities in late 2020 arrested modeling agent Jean Luc Brunel after allegations that he procured women for the US billionaire. He was found dead in prison in 2022. Brunel was so much more than that. He was a key cog, one of the OG pieces of Epstein's operation, and somebody that really moved the needle. He was integral to what Epstein was doing. He wasn't just some recruiter. He was Epstein's number one guy, number one buddy. And they were up to some very vile shit together. And 15 women in March urged France to investigate Gerald Marie, the former European head of Elite, a modeling agency known for managing supermodels Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Cindy Crawford, among them former Swedish model Ebba Carlsen. Hazeky Syed, who of grooming her for Marie. Look, a groomer is a groomer. Whether it's for Gerald Marie, Jean Luc Brunel or Jeffrey Epstein, the result's the same. And all these people were thick as thieves. Epstein, Marie, we know about Bruno. And so the whole entire disgustingness of the modeling world dovetails directly into what Epstein was doing, Especially considering he was sitting at the top of Victoria's Secret for a very long time. Maybe, you know, not name, but certainly had the keys to the kingdom. Carlson, now 56, said Syed approached her in Sweden in 90. She was 20 years old. He was very talented, she said, describing how he would push a person to see how vulnerable they are. He would attach to their desires, their longings and portray himself as some kind of savior, she said, promising he could make them a a very famous model. And they were hooked. She said when you play on people's desires, their dreams, and you offer those dreams to people, they're going to want to think that it's true. And a lot of people are just going to fall into the trap. Carlson said she follows Syed to Monaco and then to France. But the modeling jobs he had promised never materialized. Without money, she became more and more dependent on him. Carlson said that one evening in a pool house near Cannes, Syed raped her. In the days that followed, she said she announced he had found her a job with a lead. Syed via his lawyers, Manya Arab Tagreen rejected the accusations. She said that she hoped her client was not being made to bear responsibility because he's still alive for the actions of other men who have died. Same excuse Maxwell used didn't work out so well for her. Buddy, you were a part of this and now that Bill is coming due. Carlson then met Marie in his office to discuss working for Elite. Why is he closing the blind? She said she thought he flattered her. You're so beautiful, she said he told her you could go so far. She said he added, introducing the idea of her starring in a movie. Then suddenly he put his fingers into me. She said. It was to remove my power, she added. Carlson said she later attended an audition at his home where she was among about 10 girls, most appearing younger and speaking little English or French, to be told to parade topless. She pretended to accept the job but flew back to Sweden and never returned. Marie's lawyer, Celine Beckerman, denounced what she called unfounded attacks against her client. She said the rape probe against Marie had been dropped in 2023. She accused Carlson and other plaintiffs of choosing to ignore this and establish far fetched links between Gerald Marie and cases he has nothing to do with. Carlson said that she was speaking up about the grooming and abuse so we can stop that behavior and teach young people how to avoid it. And I want you to keep this stuff in mind when you hear people saying that Jeffrey Epstein wasn't a human trafficker. It's obvious he was. And I think the evidence backs it all up. And I'm very interested to see what comes of this investigation as the French authorities continue to dig around looking for evidence of Jeffrey Epstein and his criminal empire. Alright folks, that's gonna do it for this one. All the information that goes with this episode can be found in the description box.

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