The Best People with Nicolle Wallace Jess Michaels Survived Epstein. Now She’s Speaking Up
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Sep 15, 2025 Jess Michaels, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse and now a dedicated advocate for justice, shares her harrowing journey from a thriving dancer to a voice for accountability. Accompanied by her lawyer, Jennifer Freeman, they confront the systemic failures allowing such abuse to persist, calling for transparency and legal reforms. The conversation highlights the urgent need for survivor solidarity and the importance of storytelling in healing. Their message is clear: they will not back down until justice is served.
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First Meeting And The Assault
- Jess Michaels recounts meeting Jeffrey Epstein through her dancer roommate and taking a trial massage appointment in July 1991 at his penthouse.
- Her detailed memory of the encounter illustrates manipulation, coercion, and the traumatic freeze response she experienced.
Trauma Can Silence Language
- Jess explains trauma can injure brain areas involved in turning feelings into words, likening it to stroke-like damage.
- She describes deliberately rewiring her brain over years to regain language about the experience.
Birthday Book Cartoon Trigger
- Jess describes being re-triggered by a cartoon from Epstein's birthday book that echoed the massage joke he made before assaulting her.
- She explains how seeing that image brought back deep physiological and emotional reactions decades later.