An emotionally charged and at times painfully awkward television interview this week with a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring has starkly illustrated the profound difficulties these women continue to face when speaking about their abuse.
The Difficult Interview on "The Briefing"
During Wednesday's episode of MSNBC's "The Briefing With Jen Psaki," the host interviewed Sharlene Rochard, a former model who recounted being in her early teens when she frequented parties at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club and visited Jeffrey Epstein's island.
Psaki pressed for details on how Rochard, then a very young teenager, ended up at the Palm Beach property. "How did you arrive at Mar-a-Lago?" Psaki asked. "How did you end up going to Mar-a-Lago? Was he — did [Epstein] send you there? Were you told to go there? How did that happen?"
Rochard explained that "There were a lot of model parties at the Mar-a-Lago" organized by various magazines and individuals. She described a scenario where "the limo would come, and you'd jump in the limo and you'd go." She clarified that no one associated with Epstein had specifically instructed her to attend those parties.
Unanswerable Questions and Visible Trauma
Psaki then shifted the focus to the property's owner, asking, "I just have to ask if you think he was aware of that arrangement?" At this question, Rochard fell into a long, uncomfortable pause before responding, "Um, I… I don't know if he was aware. Um, actually, I can't answer that. I'm sorry."
The host reminded viewers that Rochard was just a teenager at the time, then pressed further, asking, "Were you trafficked to other people?" This inquiry prompted an even longer silence. Rochard turned to Sky and Amanda Roberts—the brother and sister-in-law of the late Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre—who were seated with her for support, appearing visibly uncertain about how to respond.
After Amanda Roberts reassured her that it was acceptable to "say yes, but you don't have to name names," Rochard apologized again to Psaki. The host affirmed, "You only share what you want to share. You don't have to be sorry for anything."
Following another pause, Rochard finally stated, "Terrible things had happened to me within my time with… dealing with Jeffrey Epstein. I had encounters with people that I would rather not have."
The Chilling Reality of Threats and Intimidation
Psaki then asked Sky Roberts to explain the profound hesitation survivors exhibit in naming their abusers. He articulated a grim reality that extends far beyond the courtroom.
"It shouldn't fall on the survivors' shoulders," Roberts stated. He explained that while the public often demands names, "these rich and powerful men can, A, they can sue you into homelessness, [which] would be a big part of it. But B, it puts [a] serious threat on your life and your family's life."
He provided a harrowing example from his sister's experience, revealing there were times when Virginia Giuffre was "sitting across people" with "a lot of money and a lot of power" who "would push a picture of her own children in front of her, and essentially say, 'I know where your kids go to school.'"
Roberts added that he himself has received threats, emphasizing that "There were still names, up until the very end, that she couldn't name because these people could — I mean, they still can — come after these survivors."
The interview served as a poignant reminder of the tragic cost for those who speak out. Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who was among the first victims to publicly accuse Epstein, died by suicide in April at age 41 after being hospitalized following a serious accident.
Giuffre began working at Mar-a-Lago as a teen before meeting Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate who was convicted of child sex trafficking. She alleged that after meeting Maxwell, she began giving Epstein massages that escalated into years of sexual abuse, claiming she was "passed around like a platter of fruit" to Epstein's powerful associates, including Prince Andrew. The British royal denied her allegations, and they settled a lawsuit out of court.
