Key Takeaways
- Sarah Kellen, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime assistant, testified before the House Oversight Committee that three men—celebrity hairstylist Frederic Fekkai, former Miami Beach mayor Philip Levine, and fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier—sexually abused her.
- Kellen alleges that Fekkai assaulted her in a Hawaii hotel room in the early 2000s, that Levine assaulted her at an Epstein‑owned home in St. Tropez during the same period, and that Demarchelier exposed himself to her and introduced her to Epstein as a “scout” for Victoria’s Secret models.
- Fekkai’s representative denied any wrongdoing, Levine said he only met Epstein a few times and regretted the association, and Demarchelier died in 2022, preventing any direct response.
- The committee said it had no prior knowledge of abuse allegations against the three men; the Department of Justice’s Epstein files show financial and social ties between Epstein and both Fekkai and Levine, but no evidence links Demarchelier directly to Epstein.
- Kellen portrayed herself as a victim of Epstein’s grooming, psychological control, and abuse, stating that his influence left her unable to distinguish her own thoughts from his.
Sarah Kellen’s closed‑door testimony before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday marked a new development in the congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s network. Identifying three men by name, Kellen alleged that celebrity hairstylist Frederic Fekkai, former Miami Beach mayor Philip Levine, and renowned fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier each committed acts of sexual abuse against her. According to sources familiar with the testimony, Kellen said Fekkai assaulted her in a hotel room in Hawaii during the early 2000s while they were alone together on a trip to meet modeling agents. She said Levine assaulted her at a St. Tropez residence that Epstein and his co‑conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell were renting, also in the early 2000s. Regarding Demarchelier, Kellen testified that he exposed himself to her and introduced her to Epstein, describing him as a “scout” for potential Victoria’s Secret models.
The allegations were met with swift denials. Frederic Fekkai’s spokesperson, Mark Herr, issued a statement calling the claims “categorically false,” insisting that Fekkai never abused anyone, participated in illegal behavior, or had any knowledge of Epstein’s trafficking operations. Levine, when contacted by CNN, reiterated his earlier statement that he had only met Epstein “a few times” and regretted the association, emphasizing that he never conducted business with Epstein, visited his island, or flew on his aircraft. Patrick Demarchelier, who died in 2022, could not respond; his representatives did not reply to CNN’s outreach attempts.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer noted that the panel had not previously been aware of any abuse allegations against the three men. He described Kellen’s interview as “by far the most substantive and productive” the committee had conducted to date and pledged to release a transcript soon. Comer said the allegations would give investigators a fresh lead to pursue in their broader examination of Epstein’s enablers and associates.
The Department of Justice’s Epstein files, released earlier this year, provide context for the relationships Epstein maintained with Fekkai and Levine. The records show that Epstein spent thousands of dollars at Fekkai’s salon over many years, and that Fekkai repeatedly requested to use Epstein’s apartments—sometimes for personal appointments with his own masseuse. In 2010, Epstein told a redacted correspondent that he had known Fekkai for a decade and had “helped his company form.” Emails also reveal Epstein asking Fekkai for help finding a multilingual assistant and Fekkai inviting Epstein to his birthday cake celebration. Maxwell, in a 2023 interview with then‑Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, described Epstein and Fekkai as “very friendly.”
Levine’s connections to Epstein are likewise documented. The DOJ files contain numerous email exchanges between the two, including Levine’s attempt in 2003 to arrange a business meeting for Epstein with a former Sephora managing director. After Epstein’s 2010 release from Florida jail, Levine wrote congratulatory notes, and Epstein’s inbox later filled with Levine’s campaign emails when Levine ran for Miami Beach mayor in 2013 and for governor in 2018. Epstein responded to a generic campaign solicitation by directing donors to Levine’s website. Additionally, emails reveal Levine asking Maxwell to “scout” at parties and Maxwell referring to Levine as her boyfriend and claiming she “unceremoniously dumped” Epstein for him. Blanche’s interview with Maxwell confirmed that Levine introduced her to former President Bill Clinton, and the two described themselves as “very good friends.”
No direct documentary evidence links Demarchelier to Epstein in the released files; the records do not show any financial transactions, meeting requests, or correspondence between the photographer and the financier. Consequently, none of the three men have faced criminal charges in connection with Epstein’s crimes, and the committee has not previously interviewed them regarding abuse allegations.
Kellen herself has been a polarizing figure in Epstein’s orbit. Law enforcement initially labeled her a potential co‑conspirator in 2007, but she has consistently portrayed herself as a victim of Epstein’s manipulation. In her opening statement to the committee, she described Epstein as having “groomed me, sexually and psychologically abused me, controlled me, manipulated me, dominated me, and gaslit me until I could no longer tell which thoughts were mine and which were his.” She likened living under his influence to wearing a permanent virtual‑reality headset, constantly reminded of his power and the threat of losing everything—job, home, relationships, even life—if she defied him.
The testimony adds a new layer to the ongoing scrutiny of Epstein’s network, highlighting accusations against individuals who, while not formally charged, maintained significant personal and financial ties to the convicted sex offender. As the House Oversight Committee prepares to release the full transcript, the allegations against Fekkai, Levine, and the late Demarchelier will likely fuel further inquiries into the breadth of Epstein’s enablers and the mechanisms through which his abuse was facilitated.