Joanna Harrison never intended to publicly share the harrowing abuse she endured at the hands of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Like many survivors of sexual assault, Harrison felt overwhelmed by shame and embarrassment, emotions that often silence victims. However, her story was thrust into the public eye when millions of documents related to Epstein’s case were released by the US Department of Justice, inadvertently revealing her identity. With her anonymity compromised, Harrison told BBC Newsnight’s Victoria Derbyshire that speaking out became a necessary step toward reclaiming her voice. “It gets to a point where you’re being suffocated and you need to breathe,” she said. “I feel this is my way of trying to breathe.”
BBC Newsnight facilitated a historic moment by bringing Harrison together with four other Epstein survivors for the first time in the same room. Over hours of conversation, the survivors shared stories of trauma, grief, and anger, displaying moments of mutual support and empathy. As they looked at photographs of themselves from the time they first met Epstein, tears were shed, revealing the deep emotional scars left by their experiences. The survivors recounted chilling episodes from Epstein’s notorious private island, Little St James, as well as his isolated New Mexico ranch, describing eerie atmospheres and a pervasive sense of fear. They also expressed suspicion that many powerful individuals connected to Epstein were likely aware of the abuse occurring within his circle.
The release of millions of documents by the US government, intended to shed light on Epstein’s crimes, inadvertently exposed the identities of several victims, including Harrison. She expressed fear about losing her anonymity, saying it was “not normal to see your abuser’s face every day for six years on TV.” Harrison shared her story of meeting Epstein in Florida when she was just 18 years old. Like many survivors, their interaction began with what seemed like an innocuous massage appointment. “Everything seemed normal,” she recalled. But when Epstein began to masturbate during the session, she froze, unable to speak or react. She later revealed that Epstein raped her on his birthday, an experience she had never publicly shared before. Despite Epstein’s death, Harrison doubts she and other survivors will ever receive full justice, lamenting that there are questions she will never get answered.
Another survivor, Chauntae Davies, shared previously unseen photographs with BBC Newsnight documenting her travels with Epstein on his private plane to Africa. These images included Epstein’s close associate Ghislaine Maxwell, actor Kevin Spacey, and former US President Bill Clinton. The trip, which was a humanitarian mission focused on AIDS prevention, spanned five countries in five days. Davies described the experience as “the most eclectic group of people that you could put together,” with a casual, almost camp-like atmosphere as they snacked, played cards, and exchanged stories. Yet, behind this veneer of normalcy, Davies said she was raped by Epstein on his private island after being hired as a massage therapist.
Davies also recounted a moment when she gave Bill Clinton a neck and back massage while the plane stopped to refuel in Portugal. She described Clinton as humble, kind, and charismatic in her journal at the time. Clinton later testified in front of the US House Oversight Committee that he wished Davies had confided in him about Epstein’s wrongdoings. However, Davies said she never considered telling Clinton, questioning whether he could have done anything to stop Epstein. “I guess we’ll never know,” she said. Interestingly, Davies also recalled helping Clinton purchase jewelry for his daughter Chelsea during their stop in Portugal. While Clinton’s name appears frequently in the Epstein files, he has consistently denied witnessing any abuse by Epstein. Similarly, Spacey has called for the full release of Epstein’s files, asserting that “for those of us with nothing to fear, the truth can’t come soon enough.”
Earlier this year, new allegations surfaced from the justice department files that prompted New Mexico authorities to reopen a criminal investigation into Epstein’s Zorro Ranch. The state had previously paused its inquiry in 2019 after federal prosecutors in New York requested the case be shelved. Davies described Zorro Ranch as the site of “the majority of the assaults” and shared that her darkest memories are tied to the property. She described the ranch as having a “cold, dark, eerie feeling,” a sentiment echoed by another survivor, Lisa Phillips, who also found the place deeply unsettling. Davies believes there is still much more to uncover about what transpired at Zorro Ranch.
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