Mystery as Italian model who was one of the first to accuse Jeffrey Epstein of sexual misconduct disappears in New York
A former Italian model who was one of the first women to accuse Jeffrey Epstein of sexual misconduct has mysteriously disappeared in New York.
Elisabetta Tai Ferretto, 50, originally from Montagnana in northern Italy, has not been heard from since April 22 after returning to the US.
Ferretto, who has lived in New York since 2001, had traveled back to the Veneto region in early April to visit her parents and brother.
But after returning to Manhattan, her daily contact with her family suddenly stopped.
The former model’s loved ones said phone calls go unanswered and her social media profiles appear to have been deactivated or deleted.
Her family reported her missing to prosecutors in Rovigo, who opened a case because she is an Italian citizen abroad.
The case has also been reported to the Italian Foreign Ministry, which has activated diplomatic channels with US authorities.
US officials are now believed to be investigating, but Ferretto has not yet been found safe and sound.
Elisabetta Tai Ferretto, 50, originally from Montagnana in northern Italy, has not been heard from since April 22 after returning to the US.
Ferretto said she was introduced to Epstein through her fashion industry agent after being told he could help her work with major brands
Ferretto’s family said she kept in regular contact with them until the day she disappeared
The former model worked in fashion after moving to the United States and later moved into the real estate industry in New York.
Her name came up publicly in 2019 when she spoke about an alleged meeting with Epstein that she said took place in 2004.
Ferretto said she was introduced to Epstein through her agent in the fashion world after being told he could help her work with major brands.
Her agent suggested she meet a man “who would change her life,” allowing her to pursue modeling for the famous brand Victoria’s Secret.
That man was none other than Epstein himself, a trusted friend and financial advisor to Leslie Wexner, the owner of Victoria’s Secret.
She said she went to what she thought would be a professional meeting or audition at Epstein’s home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
But Ferretto later told investigators and media that she was greeted at the New York mansion by Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell and taken to his office.
There she alleged that the disgraced financier did not look at her portfolio or resume, but instead undressed and lay on a massage table.
She said she turned him down and fled the property.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Ferretto’s family said she had been in regular contact with them until the day she disappeared.
They said the silence was completely strange.
No confirmed sightings or official explanations for her disappearance have yet been made public.