In the opulent halls of billionaire Leslie Wexner’s sprawling Ohio mansion, artist Maria Farmer believed she had landed a dream gig—painting and working for Jeffrey Epstein—until one terrifying night in 1996 when Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell allegedly turned violent.
She described being groped and assaulted by both, the powerful financier and his sophisticated British companion pinning her down in a brutal attack that left her in agony and fear for her life. The horror deepened when she learned her 15-year-old sister, Annie, had been flown to Epstein’s New Mexico ranch that same summer, where Epstein and Maxwell allegedly subjected the teenager to sexual abuse during a so-called “massage.”
Maria, one of the earliest to report Epstein to authorities (though ignored at the time), later filed sworn statements detailing the assaults, painting a picture of unchecked predation hidden behind wealth and connections.
Epstein and Maxwell have denied the allegations, but the sisters’ accounts remain a haunting cornerstone of the scandal.
In the opulent halls of billionaire Leslie Wexner’s sprawling Ohio mansion, artist Maria Farmer believed she had landed a dream gig—painting and working for Jeffrey Epstein—until one terrifying night in 1996 when Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell allegedly turned violent.
Maria Farmer, then 26, was invited by Epstein to serve as an “artist-in-residence” at a large guest house on Wexner’s vast 336-acre property in New Albany, Ohio—a suburb Wexner had developed extensively. The estate, guarded by armed security including off-duty sheriff’s deputies employed by Wexner, required Farmer to seek permission from Wexner’s wife, Abigail, even to leave the premises. She had been hired to create two paintings for the film As Good As It Gets, with Epstein providing the space and materials. But during what would be Epstein and Maxwell’s final visit that summer, in late July or early August 1996, they allegedly invited her into a bedroom where the assault occurred. In sworn affidavits and lawsuits, including her 2019 filing in Farmer v. Indyke and later claims, Farmer described being groped, restrained, and sexually assaulted by both Epstein and Maxwell, leaving her in physical pain with bruises on her arms and in fear for her life. She resisted fiercely, but the encounter left her traumatized.
The horror intensified when Farmer learned her younger sister, Annie Farmer—then 15 or 16—had been flown to Epstein’s Zorro Ranch in New Mexico that same summer. Annie later testified during Ghislaine Maxwell’s 2021 criminal trial that Epstein had climbed into bed with her, cuddling inappropriately, while Maxwell gave her a topless “massage,” touching her breasts under the guise of relaxation. Maxwell demonstrated foot massages on Epstein and encouraged Annie to participate. Annie described the experience as frightening and exploitative. Maria also alleged that Epstein and Maxwell had stolen partially nude photographs of Annie (taken when she was around 11) to create a “modeling book” stored in a safe.
Maria Farmer became one of the earliest whistleblowers, reporting Epstein to the FBI and NYPD in August-September 1996 about sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and possession of child pornography—including the stolen images of her sister. Newly released files in 2025 confirmed her September 3, 1996, FBI complaint, which detailed threats and exploitation but was largely ignored for decades, allowing Epstein’s activities to continue unchecked. She later submitted detailed sworn statements in various Epstein-related lawsuits, exposing the predation shielded by wealth and elite connections.
Epstein and Maxwell denied all allegations. Epstein died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial, and Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on sex trafficking charges, receiving a 20-year sentence. Leslie Wexner, Epstein’s longtime financial patron and former sole trustee of his assets, severed ties years earlier and has denied any knowledge of the crimes or the 1996 incident on his property. Farmer has held Wexner responsible, citing the assault’s location under his security oversight.
The sisters’ accounts remain a haunting cornerstone of the Epstein scandal, illustrating how immense wealth, private estates, and institutional failures enabled years of abuse. Maria Farmer, enduring lasting trauma, has continued advocating for justice, turning personal suffering into a call for accountability and reform in protecting vulnerable individuals from powerful predators.
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