Epstein survivor doubts prison suicide, urges focus on abuse prevention

Lisa Phillips, a former model who survived Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, told ABC that “there’s no way the disgraced financier took his own life in prison, adding to doubts that have sparked conspiracy theories.

The podcast host says the conversation should shift from speculation to “how to stamp out widespread sexual abuse in society.”

Phillips, who spent months advocating for Epstein survivors worldwide, says she is trying to move on with her life.

Every time I’m on my phone, I see his face on Instagram, TikTok, she said. “I do what I need to do but I don’t want to look at his face.”

More than a year after joining dozens of other survivors on Capitol Hill to share their experiences publicly for the first time and demand the release of the Epstein files, Phillips reflects on the “interesting” turn her life has taken.

“I’m feeling a lot better now than I was about a year ago,” she told Triple J’s Hack. “I have a lot of answered questions, things that I was really curious about since my early 20s. I don’t regret it because it’s actually where I found myself again and got my power back.”

Phillips first met Epstein on his private island in 2000 while working as a model. She describes a cycle of grooming and abuse that continued for years until she was finally able to leave the sex offender in 2004.

An email chain printout illustrates the amount of redactions of personally identifiable information the DOJ was required to do before releasing the Epstein files (AP Photo: Jon Elswick).

Phillips remains one of hundreds of survivors still processing the fallout from Epstein’s crimes.