Sarah Kellen, a former assistant to Jeffrey Epstein, has denied being an accomplice to the convicted sex offender, telling US lawmakers that she was 'sexually and psychologically abused' by him. In a congressional interview on Thursday, Kellen testified behind closed doors before the House oversight and reform committee as part of its review of the federal investigation into Epstein.
Kellen, 46, who worked for Epstein for over a decade from 2001, stated in her opening remarks that she 'worked for, and was sexually and psychologically abused by, Jeffrey Epstein for over a decade'. She described being 'groomed, sexually and psychologically abused, controlled, manipulated, dominated, and gaslit' by Epstein, adding that the abuse occurred on average weekly and was 'at times violent'.
Kellen also alleged that the abuse continued while Epstein was serving a jail sentence in Florida, claiming he 'Skyped me from a computer inside the Palm Beach County Stockade and ordered me to undress for him on camera'. She rejected media descriptions of her as a 'lieutenant' of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's associate now serving a 20-year prison sentence, calling it a 'gross misrepresentation' and stating she was 'a literal indentured slave'.
Committee chairman James Comer told reporters that Kellen provided 'three names of people that were involved' with Epstein's abuse and described the interview as 'by far the most substantive and productive' they have had. Kellen has faced public scrutiny for years after being listed as a possible 'co-conspirator' granted immunity in Epstein's 2007 plea deal. She was never prosecuted or charged.
