In May 1997, Alicia Arden stepped into a sunlit Santa Monica hotel room, heart racing with excitement—she was finally getting her shot at becoming a Victoria’s Secret catalog model. The man who greeted her, Jeffrey Epstein, introduced himself as a talent scout for the iconic lingerie brand, promising the dream every aspiring model chased.
But the “private fitting” turned into a nightmare in seconds. As Arden posed, Epstein’s hands were suddenly on her, groping her buttocks, pulling at her clothes, and muttering, “Let me manhandle you for a second.” Shock froze her for a moment before terror took over—she fled in tears, her dreams shattered, and reported the sexual assault to police the very next day.
What should have been the start of a glamorous career became one of the earliest documented warnings about Epstein’s predatory behavior—yet it went largely ignored for years.
The full chilling details and why this 1997 encounter mattered so much are below.
In May 1997, Alicia Arden stepped into a sunlit hotel room in Santa Monica, her heart pounding with excitement. This was the moment she had dreamed of: a chance to become a model for the Victoria’s Secret catalog—the iconic lingerie brand every aspiring model longed to work with. The man who greeted her introduced himself as Jeffrey Epstein, a talent scout for the company. With a friendly smile and promises of a dream contract, he made Arden believe her big break was within reach.
The room at the Shutters on the Beach hotel looked luxurious, with natural light streaming through large windows overlooking the ocean. Arden, then 27, was a model and actress struggling to make it in Los Angeles. She had sent her portfolio to Epstein’s New York office after a mutual acquaintance suggested he could connect her with Victoria’s Secret. Epstein arranged a private meeting, describing it as a “personal fitting” to assess her suitability for the lingerie catalog.
Everything began normally. Arden changed into the outfit and posed as instructed. But within seconds, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. Epstein suddenly moved closer, placed his hands on her body, groped her buttocks, tugged at her clothing, and muttered, “Let me manhandle you for a second.” The crude words paired with his actions left Arden frozen for a moment. Shock quickly turned to terror. She pushed him away, fled the room in tears, and left her shattered dream behind.
The very next day, Arden went to the Santa Monica police station and filed a report. The police document recorded her allegation of sexual assault, detailing Epstein’s groping and attempts to remove her clothing. This was one of the earliest officially documented accusations against Jeffrey Epstein—the man later exposed as a serial sex offender and trafficker. Yet at the time, no legal action followed. Police never followed up with Arden, and the case faded into obscurity. There was no indictment, no deeper investigation, and Epstein remained free to continue his activities.
The incident is closely tied to Epstein’s mysterious relationship with Leslie Wexner, the billionaire behind Victoria’s Secret. Epstein had been Wexner’s close financial advisor since the 1980s and 1990s, even gaining significant control over his assets and business affairs. Although he was never officially employed as a recruiter for the brand, Epstein repeatedly used the Victoria’s Secret name to lure young women, inviting them to private “tryout” sessions—a pattern that appeared in numerous later allegations.
Arden’s case was one of the earliest warnings, yet it was ignored for more than two decades. Only after Epstein’s 2019 arrest and his mysterious death did her story gain widespread attention through New York Times articles and investigative documentaries. She appeared in interviews, the documentary “Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons,” and joined attorney Gloria Allred in calling for the release of Epstein-related files.
Alicia Arden’s experience is not just the story of one personal assault—it is evidence of systemic failure. Early red flags were dismissed, allowing a predator to continue harming others. Today, Arden still lives in Santa Monica, continuing to speak out for justice for herself and dozens of other victims, reminding the world that if action had been taken in 1997, many tragedies might have been prevented.
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