Model who accused Jeffrey Epstein found safe after family reported her missing

Elisabetta Tai Ferretto, an Italian former model who publicly accused Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse years ago, has been found safe in the United States after her family in Italy reported losing contact with her in April.

According to Italian newspaper Il Mattino di Padova, Ferretto’s family became alarmed when she stopped responding to calls on April 22 and appeared to deactivate her social media accounts. The 50-year-old, who has lived in New York City since 2001, had travelled earlier in April to Veneto to visit her parents and brother before returning to the US.

Her family contacted authorities after days without communication. Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working with US officials, later confirmed she had been located safely. The discovery was reported by Il Messaggero, citing information from the Carabinieri, Italy’s military police force. Law enforcement sources in New York told New York Post they had no record of a formal missing persons report filed locally.



On May 5, authorities located Ferretto in a detention facility in Florida. Additional details about the circumstances of her detention have not been publicly released.

Early accuser in the Epstein case

Ferretto was among the earliest women to publicly describe an encounter with Epstein. In a 2019 interview with New York Post, she recounted being sent in 2004 by her modeling booker to Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse under the belief it was a professional opportunity connected to Victoria’s Secret.

Instead, she alleged that Epstein began undressing and directed her toward a massage table. Ferretto said she initially believed a masseuse would enter the room. She described becoming alarmed when Epstein handed her a sex toy and asked her to come closer. She said she threw the object toward him and fled.

As she attempted to leave, Ferretto recalled being stopped by a woman she believed resembled Ghislaine Maxwell, who allegedly told her she could not simply walk out and described Epstein as an influential figure connected to Bill Clinton. These claims formed part of Ferretto’s early public account of her experience.