Jess Michaels says she was 22 years old and pursuing a career as a competitive dancer in 1991 when she alleges she was raped by Jeffrey Epstein. In a detailed interview, Michaels described how she was groomed and trafficked before fully understanding what was happening and why she remained silent for decades.
She traced her introduction to Epstein through her roommate, who appeared to be living a glamorous life filled with travel and opportunities.
“He was taking her all over the world, and she was making all of this money, and he was letting her go to auditions,” Michaels said. “It was sex trafficking 101.”
Michaels said she did not recognize the grooming at the time. After the alleged assault, she described being in a state of shock.
“I was in such a state of shock that when I left, I got on the subway going the wrong way,” she said. “I was still mute the next morning.”
At the time, Michaels said her understanding of what happened was shaped by how rape was legally defined in 1991.
“In 1991, the laws stated that rape was determined based on how much a victim resisted,” she said. “And because when I was raped, I didn’t scream, I didn’t fight, I didn’t run. So, I thought, it’s not rape.”
She also said fear and doubt kept her from coming forward.
“I just thought, nobody is going to believe a 22-year-old dancer compared to this wealthy Wall Street guy,” she said.
Her decision to speak out came years later after reading about other women who had accused Epstein.
“It was Michelle, Shante, Courtney, and Virginia,” Michaels said. “It was them speaking up. That was the first time that I gave myself grace and realized it wasn’t my fault — that I wasn’t the only person that Jeffrey Epstein had raped.”
Michaels first shared her story publicly on TikTok, describing the emotional difficulty of doing so.
“I got so anxious, I threw my phone across the room,” she said. “But it took a lot of time and acclimating to having so many eyes on the most vulnerable experience I’ve ever had.”
Now, Michaels is advocating for changes in how sexual assault is discussed and treated.
“I am advocating that we change language around sexual assault and we look at it as an injury before it’s a crime demanding interrogation — that we actually focus on the injury part that demands first aid care,” she said.
She believes the current moment presents a unique opportunity for change.
“People are finally listening to survivors, more so than it has ever happened in the past,” Michaels said. “So, if there was ever a time to be having conversations that can then shift awareness, and then awareness can shift culture, it’s now.”
Michaels said she has lived with post-traumatic stress disorder for 35 years and emphasized the importance of being heard.
“I need the opportunity to be heard,” she said. “That’s what feels healing for me. That’s what feels like I’m taking something that ruins and destroyed and stole 30 years of my life and turning that into something positive.”
She also highlighted the scale of sexual assault, saying it is far more widespread than many acknowledge.
“There are far more sexual assault survivors out there than anyone wants to admit to, in the millions and millions, in every single family, in every single town, in every single state,” she said.
Reflecting on her younger self, Michaels added:
“Because something in your mind doesn’t fall into the lines of what the law says doesn’t mean you weren’t harmed.”
When asked about being referred to as an “Epstein survivor,” she said the label carries meaning and purpose.
“Jeffrey Epstein did a lot of damage with his name and with his power and with his notoriety and with his network and connections,” she said. “And my intention of being an Epstein survivor is to use that name to change this horrific trauma for good.”
Michaels also voiced support for the Epstein Transparency Act, which required the release of documents related to the case, but described the results as disappointing.
“Seven-page victim statement, four pages of it were just a black box,” she said. “Four pages.”
She said the redactions represent a failure to victims.
“There are dozens of victims, and many of them Jane Does, who have never revealed publicly that they were survivors whose names are out there,” she said. “And I think that, from a legal standpoint, that’s an egregious breach of trust.”
Addressing speculation about a so-called Epstein “client list,” Michaels said the information may already exist within legal records.
“It’s not necessarily that there’s a list sitting around that was on Jeffrey Epstein’s desk or just in his address book,” she said. “Where it is, is in victim statements, the 302s.”
She further alleged that five administrations of the U.S. Department of Justice over 30 years failed to prosecute powerful individuals connected to Epstein.
Local lawmakers in Wisconsin say the case highlights the need for stronger protections. Jodi Emerson pointed to recent legislative progress.
“Some bills that have not gotten passed and looking forward to the day that those do, but we have passed some really great bills making sexploitation a crime, making grooming a crime this year,” Emerson said. “Both of those passed and I think those are really important pieces of this discussion.”
Emily Berge emphasized the importance of open dialogue.
“Abuse thrives in secrecy,” Berge said. “And so, it’s really important that we do talk about sexual abuse, sexual assault, and the impacts it has on children, adults, families.”
Advocates say more work remains. Cat Morgan, executive director of the anti-trafficking nonprofit Fierce Freedom, noted that Wisconsin lacks a “safe harbor law,” which would provide protections for survivors.
“That is a federal statute, but in our state of Wisconsin, this is not reflected,” Morgan said. “We do not have a safe harbor law here. So, there’s just a lot of legislation… that would be helpful in order to build a network of support so that survivors feel like they can come forward and they can get the support and perpetrators are held to account.”
Epstein’s case dates back to the mid-2000s, when Florida investigators accused him of sexually abusing underage girls. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to state charges and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, serving about 13 months with work release under a controversial non-prosecution agreement.
He was arrested again in July 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges in New York tied to allegations from the early 2000s. On Aug. 10, 2019, Epstein was found dead in a Manhattan federal jail, with the medical examiner ruling his death a suicide by hanging.
At least 136 women later received compensation through Epstein’s victims’ fund, though no single confirmed total number of victims has ever been established.