Karen Mulder: Fashion's Forgotten Whistleblower and the Epstein Files Echo
The recent release of documents from the Epstein files has brought renewed attention to allegations made twenty-five years ago by Dutch supermodel Karen Mulder. Her claims of abuse at the hands of powerful figures in fashion, European royalty, politicians, and police officers were dismissed at the time, but now appear hauntingly prescient in light of new revelations about Jeffrey Epstein's exploitation network within the modeling industry.
A Dark Turn on French Television
In November 2001, Karen Mulder, the celebrated Vogue cover model known as the "real-life Barbie," appeared on French television show Tout le monde en parle. What should have been a lighthearted discussion about her music career instead became a platform for harrowing accusations. Mulder detailed experiences of rape by industry figures, royalty, and authorities, only to be cut off by host Thierry Ardisson. The interview was never aired, with tapes reportedly destroyed, and Mulder was labeled as hysterical and unstable.
This occurred more than fifteen years before the #MeToo movement, when women making such accusations faced stigma and ridicule. Ardisson publicly called her outburst "a paranoid delirium," while media attributed her claims to drug issues or a "nervous breakdown." Following this episode, Mulder largely vanished from public view, her name fading while contemporaries like Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell remained famous.
Epstein Files Validate Early Warnings
The latest Epstein document release reveals disturbing connections between the convicted paedophile's exploitation network and the fashion industry. Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking, allegedly used his fashion and celebrity contacts to lure aspiring models. These revelations echo Mulder's 2001 claims, raising questions about whether she was fashion's first whistleblower and what might have been prevented had she been believed.
From Fairytale Ascent to Personal Struggle
Mulder's career began with a classic fashion fairytale. Discovered through an Elite Model Management competition in 1985, she quickly rose to prominence, walking for Valentino, Versace, Dior, and Chanel. By the early 1990s, she was a supermodel earning approximately £10,000 daily and amassing a £10 million fortune. She became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 1996 and appeared in iconic shoots, including Peter Lindbergh's "Wild at Heart" series.
Despite her success, Mulder struggled with her public persona, stating, "For me, [being a supermodel] was just an assumed role, and in the end I didn't know who I really was as a person." By 2001, she had stepped back from fashion to pursue acting and music, but her personal turmoil was deepening.
Persistent Allegations and Subsequent Recantation
Even after her television interview was suppressed, Mulder continued speaking out. She filed a police report in France with similar allegations, prompting a preliminary investigation for "rape by persons unknown." In a subsequent interview with French magazine VSD, she claimed, "They tried to turn me into a prostitute because they thought it would be so easy," alleging rape by two model bookers and involvement of government and police with Elite models.
Soon after, she entered the Villa Montsouris psychiatric clinic for five months, with her stay reportedly paid for by Gérald Marie, then head of Elite's Paris office. Marie later faced multiple sexual misconduct and rape accusations from the 1980s and 1990s, though French prosecutors dropped the investigation in 2023 due to statute of limitations. Mulder eventually recanted her accusations, calling them "a cry for help," and the police investigation was discontinued.
Tragic Downfall and Legacy
Mulder's story took further tragic turns with a suicide attempt in late 2002, attributed by family to cocaine issues, though she denied addiction. After recovery, she remained out of the spotlight, making only a brief catwalk comeback in 2007 for Dior. Her last public appearance in headlines was in 2009, when she was held by Paris police for allegedly making threatening calls to a plastic surgeon, though no charges were filed.
Her allegations were largely forgotten until the Epstein files revival. Notably, they were not revisited during #MeToo or #TimesUp movements. In a 2022 interview, Thierry Ardisson reflected differently, stating, "She said some terrible things, which I think were true," calling it the worst moment of his career. Mulder's 2002 hope for justice—"I want justice, that's all"—remains unfulfilled, but her prediction that "the truth will out" gains new resonance with each Epstein revelation.
