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The Situation Room

Jeffrey Epstein Survivors Speak Out. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired September 03, 2025 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[11:00:00]

MARINA LACERDA, JEFFREY EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Agents showed up at my door in 2008.

Jeffrey Epstein hired a lawyer to represent me, or more like to represent him, I like to say. I couldn't ask any questions. And I had no idea what was going on. I was terrified.

Until today, I think most of us are still terrified. I thought somebody was going to kill me. I thought something was going to happen to my sister or my mother. It went further out to even maybe thinking something would happen in Brazil with my family.

And, then one day, the lawyer said that everything was just going to go away like nothing happened. I didn't need to testify. When I asked him why, he gave no explanation. That was it. So, why? Why was I never called to testify then? We could have saved so many women. We could have saved so many lives from being abused.

Why did he get away with it in 2008? Why was he able to go on in the abuse with hundreds of girls after the Florida investigation? Why didn't they let me testify to help stop him? Our government could have saved so many women. But Jeffrey Epstein was too important, and those women didn't matter. Why?

Well, we matter now. We are here today. And we are speaking. And we are not going to stop speaking. Today, I stand here with the women who have really helped me to find the strength to come out and come forward to share my story for the very first time.

Together, we are stronger than ever. While she may not be with us, Virginia Roberts, we will continue to use our voices to strengthen yours always.

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

COURTNEY WILD, JEFFREY EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Hi, my name is Courtney Wild.

I just wanted to take a second and just have a moment of silence for all the women survivors that aren't here with us today that passed away due to anxiety, depression, trying to keep up with this case. A moment of silence, please. Thank you.

My name is Courtney Wild. I was only 14 years old when I was introduced to Jeffrey Epstein by a 13-year-old friend of mine. The details of the abuse that he inflicted on me for years is not important today.

In 2028 (sic), I was cooperating with the federal government in the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. They sent me a letter telling me to be patient because this was going to be a lengthy investigation, but at the same time, they refused to talk to me and tell me what was going on.

So I hired an attorney, Brad Edwards, because I was hopeful to get some answers. When I walked into his office at 19 years old, Brad sued the government for refusing to tell me what was going on under the Crime Victims' Rights Act.

The only reason anyone ever found out that the government had already given Jeffrey Epstein immunity through the non-prosecution agreement was because our lawsuit forced the government to tell us. Otherwise, nobody would even know that today.

Sometimes, it's hard to believe that I had to sue the United States just to learn that my abuser was given immunity. I started as Jane Doe, but I decided to -- I was proud enough to take on our country, and I was on the right side of history.

We fought the government for 10 years to prove that the government violated our rights as crime victims and the crime victims' rights in order to protect a pedophile. We had to win the 11th Circuit Court Appeals to force the government to turn over thousands of pages of e- mails between Jeffrey Epstein and the government.

Those e-mails provided the proof that the government worked very hard with Jeffrey Epstein to violate our rights. Why? Why did the government work so hard to protect Jeffrey and not so hard to protect me and my other innocent friends? Why was Jeffrey so important to the government, and why was I so insignificant?

Why did nobody but our lawyers care before now? It seems people have only started to care because of Twitter and politics. But I would like to say this has nothing to do with politics. This is not a blue thing or a red thing. This is an everyone thing. We can all agree on this, the injustice that has happened here.

[11:05:00]

Multiple, over and over, everybody that talks about this just seems to make it worse. We need transparency. It's time for us to see beyond the curtain. Why was Jeffrey Epstein so protected, who is still being protected, and who protected them all, so the world can understand how Jeffrey was able to abuse so many of us for so long.

I was lucky to have Brad Edwards, Brittany Henderson, and Paul Cassell take on my case pro bono and fight fearlessly over 20 years time. I would like to thank them. And I'd also like to ask the Trump administration to please sign off on the Crime Victims' Rights Reform Act, the Courtney Wild Crime Victims' Rights Reform Act that we're trying to get past here so we can close the loopholes in the CVRA case that Epstein's attorney used to their benefit to get away with this. Thank you so much.

(APPLAUSE)

SKY ROBERTS, BROTHER OF VIRGINIA GIUFFRE: Good morning.

First and foremost, we want to extend our deepest gratitude to Brad and Brittany Edwards, Congressmen Massie and Khanna, and above all the brave survivors who have entrusted us with the privilege of speaking today on behalf of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, as her family.

We are here today because we support H.Res.581, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, in its entirety. But as much as this bill is about shining a light on truth, it's not just about the bill. This is about justice. This is about survivors.

This is about justice against the rich and powerful who have stolen something from these women and many children at the time, their freedom, the freedom to live their life without mental and physical scars that have been inflicted upon them by those who thought they were untouchable.

The same freedom that these monsters took from these survivors, they should never be afforded. They should never be allowed to continue their lives with impunity. Let's be clear. This is not a political issue. This is not about left or right. This is about humanity. This is about doing what's right. And this is about ensuring that the future we leave behind isn't one where the powerful can hide behind their wealth, their influence, and their money to evade justice.

Our plea to you, whether you're a dad, a mom, a brother, or a sister, look your young ones in the face, look them in the eye and tell them you didn't stand against the very people who raped, molested, and preyed upon children and young women. Tell them you were willing to negotiate a deal.

Money should never be what makes something right or wrong. If you vote no, your stance will be clear. You will be choosing to stand on the side of the rich and powerful, allowing money to buy your way out of the consequence.

But here's my one ask. Look these survivors in the eye and tell them why. Then look the people of the United States in the eye and tell them why. And then, when you're alone, look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself why.

Virginia said it best -- and I quote -- "I have physical and mental scars that will never heal. I have memories that will never go away. They say time can heal, but this won't. Not until the justice system makes an example out of these people with so-called privileges. I just call it money. The only time I can begin to heal is when their freedom is taken from them, just like they did to me, and literally thousands of other victims."

The survivors of this horrific abuse are watching. The American people are watching and history is watching. Which side will you be on?

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

JENA-LISA JONES, JEFFREY EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Hello. My name is Jena- Lisa Jones. And I was only 14 years old when my friend brought me over to Jeffrey Epstein's house in Palm Beach in 2003. I had a terrible home life, but I was such an innocent kid then. I always did my best in school and I had such a positive outlook on life.

[11:10:04]

Until that day that I met Jeffrey, I have never been more scared in my life than I was that first time that he hurt me. I remember crying the entire way home, thinking about how I couldn't ever tell anyone about what actually happened in that house.

This guy was so rich and had so many pictures with so many famous people, and no one would have ever believed me if I told them. I want to thank Congressman Ro and Congressman Thomas Massie for having me here today. It was really hard for me to find my voice and to become strong enough to speak about my abuse.

I didn't come forward until 2019. And even when -- and even then, it was like I was afraid of a ghost. I know that I was just a little kid, but sometimes I still feel like it is my fault that this happened. Being given the opportunity to speak at the United States Capitol Building about something that is so important, not just to me and the women before you, but to the entire country, together, we can finally make a change.

And that is thanks to the people like these two congressmen and their teams, who actually care about the victims. If you are a member of Congress and you are listening to all of us speak here today, please, really listen to us. Please vote for this bill to be passed. Please recognize how important it is for transparency relating to Jeffrey Epstein.

Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, this does not matter. This is not about sides. You are an American, and you are a person who has chosen to serve in an elected position to stand up for those you represent, who cannot always stand up for themselves. We are those people. We are the Americans that you promised to protect.

And we need your help. Please, President Trump, pass this bill and help us. Make us feel like our voices are finally being heard. Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

HALEY ROBSON, JEFFREY EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Good afternoon. My name is Haley Robson. I was a 16-year-old high school student, athlete who made good grades

and had high aspirations for college when I was recruited and asked by a classmate of mine alongside with a 20-year-old male if I wanted to give an old rich guy a massage. But what high school girl would not want to do that?

That day changed my life forever. And when I got into the massage room, Jeffrey Epstein undressed and asked me to do things to him. My eyes welled up with tears, and I have never been more scared in my life. When it was over, he made -- he paid me $200 and requested in exchange that I bring a girl each time to make another $200.

I told him I did not want to do that and then he gave me an ultimatum. "Either you come here and massage me when I call you or you bring me friends of yours to massage, and I will give you $200 per girl for each time she comes."

I felt and hoped to never hear from him again, but he called me every day. He was so wealthy and powerful and he would not let me go. I felt I had no choice. If I disobeyed him, I knew something bad would happen. So knowing I did not want to be sexually abused -- I'm sorry -- I started to bring him other girls from my high school. And he paid me $200, $200 for bringing them.

I just hoped each time it would be the last time. One day, the stepmom of one of the girls brought him and called the police on Jeffrey Epstein. The police then called me -- called me in for questioning. I had told them the truth, despite the fact that I was a teenager and a minor, and I was able to tell the police the names of all the other victims.

The police treated me like a criminal. I had -- by this time had turned 18. I had been with Jeffrey since I was 16 and for two years. So they had told me I distributed to the -- so they told me I was going to be arrested. My name was then distributed to the press as a co-conspirator of my abuser, who I detested.

My entire world was crashing in around me, and I started being threatened and bullied, until this day still receiving death threats. I was singled out and for many years had to suffer a smear campaign of lies about me because of the way that I was portrayed by the press. The press made me out to be a predator, when I was just a 16-year-old little girl who was sexually abused by a powerful man and an evil man.

[11:15:04]

For years, I had no friends, my boyfriend was murdered and there was nowhere to turn. The government, after investigating more, learned that I was true a victim, but the damage was done and it was too late. There was no way to undo the harm the press had caused me.

In 2019, I met Brad and Brittany -- I met Brad Edwards and Brittany Henderson. They changed my life and they believed in me and have helped me to finally heal. Healing is a process, and I may never get there. But the passage of this bill requiring the government to produce all the evidence that it has gathered on Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell is a huge component of healing for me and for the many other women who have suffered for so long for many reasons.

First, we and the rest of the world need answers. Why was he so protected and why didn't anyone ever care to stop him? It doesn't take a brain surgeon to know that, if he is spending thousands of dollars a day paying high school girls he abuses and other access to -- and had a lot of access to cash.

I learned through my attorneys in the JPM -- J.P. Morgan class action case that there were years when his staff withdrew over a million in cash a year. Was that not a big enough red flag? There were wire transfers to other victims, and the government did not protect us. The banks did not protect us.

So lift the curtain on these files and be transparent. Every single time a new conspiracy gets circulated in the media, whether he is still alive, what powerful person had him murdered, who was on the Epstein client list, and there are names going around on TikTok and Instagram, we, the survivors, are suffering severely.

We take our kids to school and everyone is talking about it. We can't read the news or do anything without hearing crazy stories that are only able to live on because the government continues to hide the evidence and the truth. So people just make up stories. Those stories hurt. They hurt real people, real people who have already been hurt.

And we have lost so many Epstein victims to suicide and maintaining the real truth. And secrecy only allows for conspiracy theorists to tell lies that drives up our anxiety and fears and will continue to lead to more pain, more suffering and honestly more deaths of innocent victims.

It's time you do is right by us. Unseal all the documents. We are requesting transparency. And I am requesting every congress man and woman that goes against this bill be outed. I want to know.

Thank you.

(CHEERING)

LISA PHILLIPS, JEFFREY EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Hi there. My name is Lisa Phillips. And I'm the host of an award-nominated podcast called "From Now On," a platform supporting survivors.

I want to thank all of my survivor sisters who came before me today. I will be very short.

In the year 2000, I was taken to Jeffrey Epstein's island while on a photo shoot on a nearby island. Who I saw and what I experienced there was this -- was a glimpse into a very dark and disturbing world. For years after, I tried to avoid Jeffrey, but he had introduced me to Katie Ford, the owner of the Ford Modeling Agency.

Epstein's reach went to the very top of fashion, arts and entertainment. This did not just happen to underage girls in Florida. In New York City, hundreds of young ambitious women were abused by him. Epstein was not just a serial predator. He was an international human trafficker.

And many around him knew, many participated and many profited. And yet he was protected. So I stand here today for every woman who has been silenced, exploited and dismissed. We are not asking for pity. We are here demanding accountability, and I'm demanding justice. Congress must choose, will you continue to protect predators or will you finally protect survivors?

And also I would like to announce here today. Us Epstein survivors have been discussing creating our own list. We know the names. Many of us were abused by them. Now, together, as survivors, we will confidentially compile the names we all know who regularly -- and who were regularly in the Epstein world. And it will be done by survivors and for survivors. No one else is involved.

[11:20:05]

Stay tuned for more details.

(CHEERING)

CHAUNTAE DAVIES, JEFFREY EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Hello. My name is Chauntae Davies, and I'm here before you today as a survivor, a survivor of decades pain, the trauma, and betrayal at the hands of Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein and the people who enabled them and a government that for far too long refused to help.

In /2002, I was living in California, a young woman with high aspirations of becoming an actress. I was already beginning to make a name for myself in the industry. A person I trusted, someone I thought was a friend, invited me to meet a powerful woman who could help advance my career. That woman happened to be Ghislaine Maxwell.

I was asked to give her a massage, though I had almost no experience. And when I did, she praised me and promised introductions to someone enormously powerful, someone who could change the course of my life, and that man was Jeffrey Epstein.

At first, I was an excited young woman on top of the world. Epstein flew me to his private island. He listened to my dreams, promised to help, but his promises came with a catch. The abuse began. He told me to keep it secret. He manipulated me with quid pro quo I did not consent to, but I felt I had no one to turn to. He was too powerful.

I was just one of the many young women trapped in his orbit. I was even taken on a trip to Africa with former President Bill Clinton and other notable figures. In those moments, I realized how powerless I was. If I spoke out, who would believe me? Who would protect me? Epstein himself was the most powerful leader of our country.

Epstein surrounded himself -- I'm sorry -- with the most powerful leaders of our country and the world. He abused not only me, but countless others, and everyone seemed to look away. The truth is Epstein had a free pass. He bragged about his powerful friends, including our current President Donald Trump. It was his biggest brag, actually. And while I what I endured will haunt me forever, I live every day

with PTSD. I live as a mother trying to raise my child, while distrusting a world that has betrayed me. This kind of trauma never leaves you. It breaks families apart. It shapes the way we see everyone around us.

But one thing is certain. Unless we learn from this history, monsters like Epstein will rise again. There are files, government files that hold the truth about Epstein, who he knew, who owed him, who protected him, and why he was allowed to operate for so long without consequence.

Why was Maxwell the only one held accountable, when so many others played a role? Why does the government hide this information from the public? This secrecy is not protection. It's complicity. And as long as the truth is buried, justice will remain out of reach. That is why this bill matters. Passing it will -- bless you -- endure -- ensure that the suffering of survivors is not in vain.

Passing it will bring accountability, transparency, and prevention. It will help protect the next generation of predators who seek to place themselves above the law through wealth, influence, and connections. This is not just my story. It is about every survivor who carries invisible scars. It's about the weight we live with daily. It is about the families broken and the future stolen.

So I ask you, President Trump and members of Congress, why do we continue to cover up sexual abuse and assault? Who are we covering for? Let the public know the truth. We cannot heal without justice. We cannot protect the future if we refuse to confront the past.

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Just give a round of applause for all the courage and strength that the survivors have shown.

(APPLAUSE)

KHANNA: We now will take a few questions. You can always get Congressman Massie, me or Congresswoman Greene in the hallways and other places. If you have questions for us, that's fine.

But I wanted to see first if you have questions for the lawyers and the survivors. And Brad will facilitate any of the questions to the survivors.

Yes.

QUESTION: This question would be for the survivors, Mr. Edwards. The president has said that this Epstein issue is a hoax, is the word that he used. Can we get your reactions to what you think when you hear him say that?

(CROSSTALK) ROBSON: Oh, I will answer that. Mr. President Donald J. Trump, I am a registered Republican, not that that matters because this is not political.

However, I cordially invite you to the Capitol to meet me in person so you can understand this is not a hoax. We are real human beings. This is real trauma.

[11:25:07]

QUESTION: What does it feel like emotionally to hear that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Devastating.

ROBSON: It's being gutted from the inside out, not that I would know what that feels like, but I imagine it's the anxiety buildup with the depression and the survival mode, and then your nervous system goes limp and ironically is shot.

And it feels like you just want to explode inside because nobody, again, is understanding that this is a real situation. These women are real. We're here in person. To say that it's a hoax is just not -- please humanize us. I would like Donald J. Trump and every person in America and around the world to humanize us, to see us for who we are and to hear us for what we have to say.

There is no hoax. The abuse was real. Now, what goes on behind closed doors, I can't speak for that. What happens around the world politically, I cannot speak for that, but I am here with all of these women, including our attorneys, and I would be more than happy to meet with him and I will meet him halfway.

(APPLAUSE)

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Mr. Edwards, I wonder if any of the victims could respond to the news from recently about Ghislaine Maxwell being transferred to a lower-security prison in the aftermath of speaking to Todd Blanche.

ANNIE FARMER, JEFFREY EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: I'm happy to speak to that. We were horrified to learn that she had been transferred to a prison camp.

She is someone who was found guilty by a jury of sex trafficking. She not only -- we often hear that she procured women for Jeffrey, which I think is a very sort of polite and minimizing term. She also participated in abuse. She was a major architect of the scheme. And the fact that she has painted herself as a victim I think is disgusting.

And it was horrifying, I think, to us that we were not told about her prison transfer. We found out about it in the news.

(CROSSTALK)

FARMER: One minute. (CROSSTALK)

ANOUSKA DE GEORGIOU, JEFFREY EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Anouska De Georgiou.

I testified alongside Annie at the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell. I was horrified when I found out not only had Ghislaine Maxwell been transferred to what's called a low-security -- it really is like a holiday camp. And then, afterwards, I got a notification from the Department of Justice telling me that this was going to happen, when it had already happened.

This woman abused children. I was abused by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell for over 10 years. Ghislaine Maxwell was present for some of my abuse at the hand of Jeffrey Epstein. She was present, she was complicit, she was enabling. And it is appalling and disgusting.

And it's one of my worst nightmares that she not only be transferred, but the possibility that's very much going around that she might be pardoned. This is not OK, guys. This is not OK.

FARMER: And I just want to add that I think it sends a very dangerous message to our country, to the young people in our country that someone that we all know is aware of these crimes could be given a pass.

(CROSSTALK)

RAJU: The last survivor who just spoke, she said that Epstein would brag about her relationship with Donald Trump. Could she please elaborate on that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get close.

DAVIES: Yes, I did say that.

My first trip to the Palm Beach residence, I drove there from the airport with Ghislaine Maxwell. And they -- Jeffrey and Ghislaine were always very boastful about their friends, their famous or powerful friends. And his biggest brag forever was that he was very good friends with Donald Trump. He had an 8x10 framed picture of him on his desk with the two of them. Like, they were very close.

BRAD EDWARDS, ATTORNEY FOR JEFFREY EPSTEIN SURVIVORS: Go ahead.

(CROSSTALK)

EDWARDS: One second. One second.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

EDWARDS: So, Lisa, what's your vision here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is it going to the public or just amongst the survivors?

PHILLIPS: So, we're reaching out to survivors that are scared. EDWARDS: So, come on up.

PHILLIPS: We're reaching out to survivors that are scared to come forward and that also know who they were trafficked to. So, that's the list that we're compiling. We're not quite sure how we're going to release that, or even if we're going to.