18-Year-Old Model Named in Epstein Papers Committed Suicide Two Years After Visiting ‘Pedo Island’
Tragedy struck the modeling world as Ruslana Korshunova, an aspiring Kazakh-Russian model known as the Russian Rapunzel, took her own life just two years after visiting Jeffrey Epstein's private island. The young model, aged 20 at the time of her death, had appeared in Epstein's flight logs for his private Boeing 727, famously named the Lolita Express, which had transported her to the disgraced financier's private island, Little St. James, in the US Virgin Islands.
Korshunova, a rising star on the catwalk and the face of Nina Ricci perfume visited Little St. James in June 2006 at the age of 18. Despite her promising career, she jumped from the ninth-floor balcony of her Manhattan apartment in June 2008, leaving the fashion world in shock, the Mirror reports. Epstein's flight logs placed Korshunova on the same journey to Little St. James with Epstein, his assistant Sarah Kellen, a bodyguard, a chef, and a former UFC fighter on the notorious Lolita Express. Kellen was later identified by Ghislaine Maxwell's sentencing judge as a "knowing participant in the criminal conspiracy."
Questions surrounding Korshunova's connection to Epstein's private island arose when Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's accusers, was asked about her in a 2011 email from attorney Brad Edwards. Giuffre, who had been to the island, stated that she had never met Korshunova. The circumstances of Korshunova's visit to 'pedophile island,' in June 2006 remain unclear, adding a layer of mystery to the tragic narrative. Korshunova's premature death has been linked to her struggles with homesickness, a yearning for family, and challenges in her love life, as shared by her ex-boyfriend, Artem Perchenok. Perchenok shared that Korshunova was struggling to find a balance between work and life, which eventually provoked her to end her life.
Russian-Kazakh model Ruslana Korshunova, who committed suicide in 2008, also appears on Epstein Island documents.
— Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil (@ivan_8848) January 5, 2024
The “Russian Rapunzel” Korshunova was taken to the island when she was just 18 ... 2 years later she jumped out the window of her New York apartment. pic.twitter.com/yuemaMl1WU
The model was born in Kazakhstan to Russian parents and embarked on her modeling journey after being scouted following the fall of the USSR. Her introduction to the modeling world occurred when she was spotted in an airline magazine article, sharing her teenage quest to learn German. Catapulted into the high-paced life of a model at a young age, Korshunova quickly garnered a significant fanbase. However, her journey was marked by heartbreak as she experienced repeated disappointments from wealthy men who dazzled her with their affluence only to later abandon her.
Víctimas del monstruo. La top model kazajo-rusa, Ruslana Korshunova, se suicidó saltando al vacío desde el apartamento en el que vivía en Manhattan, en 2008. Dos años antes había sido trasladada en avión a la llamada "isla pedófila" de Jeffrey Epstein, cuando tenía 18 años. pic.twitter.com/aUaIG8k5Jc
— La Historia USA (@LaHistoriaUSA) January 5, 2024
The circumstances of how Korshunova and Epstein crossed paths remain unclear. Epstein's associate, British socialist Ghislaine Maxwell, known for recruiting glamorous young women for Epstein, might have played a role. Epstein was also known to assist with visas for young women joining his ventures, although Korshunova's visa status remains undisclosed. By the mid-2000s, Korshunova had established herself in Manhattan's Financial District. Hearing about her the accuser said, "I am so sorry to hear the news of Ruslana, and my condolences are with her family and friends. I can say that I have never had any meetings with her. Sorry not to be of any help there."
