 |
| Johanna Sjoberg has testified that she was recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell for sex acts with Jeffrey Epstein |
Johanna Sjoberg, an alleged victim of Jeffrey Epstein, disclosed shocking details in recently unsealed documents about the late financier's network of influential acquaintances. From Donald Trump to Bill Clinton, Epstein leveraged his associations while taking Sjoberg on trips from Florida to New York. The testimony revealed Michael Jackson's visit to Epstein's Palm Beach home, although not all named individuals faced accusations.
Among the bizarre claims resurfaced was an incident involving Prince Andrew and a Spitting Image puppet. Sjoberg asserted that, in a "joking manner," she sat on the Duke's lap alongside Virginia Giuffre, while a puppet gifted by Ghislaine Maxwell had its hands placed on their breasts. Despite Prince Andrew's repeated denials, this unsettling episode allegedly occurred at Epstein's Manhattan mansion around Easter 2001.
Sjoberg's testimony, given in 2015 during a defamation case brought by Giuffre against Maxwell, supported Giuffre's allegations against Maxwell, Epstein, and Prince Andrew. The lawsuit, settled in 2016, saw unsealed documents in December of the previous year, shedding light on the disturbing details.
Maxwell, convicted sex offender and Epstein's associate, denied gifting Prince Andrew the Spitting Image puppet. She described it as a caricature present in Epstein's home but claimed no recollection of using it for inappropriate acts.
Sjoberg's entanglement with Epstein began in 2001 when Maxwell recruited her for a supposed home help job while she was a student at Palm Beach Atlantic College. Instead, she was coerced into sexual acts with Epstein and faced reprimands if unsuccessful. In 2007, Sjoberg, from a church-going family in Maine, disclosed being groomed by Epstein, who paid her tuition, assisted in property acquisition, and funded her hairstyling training. She described this association as a "pact with the devil."
Reflecting on her victimization, Sjoberg, now 42 and owning an upscale hair salon in Palm Beach, acknowledged the extent to which she was preyed upon after the revelation of Epstein's widespread abuse of young girls. Her story exposes the manipulative tactics used by Epstein to exploit vulnerable individuals, unraveling a disturbing web of influence that extended to some of society's most powerful figures.