Epstein files: The sisters who survived

Maria Farmer, an aspiring artist, met Epstein in 1995 and entered his orbit through billionaire Les Wexner. In 1996, while serving as an artist-in-residence at Wexner’s Ohio estate, she says Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell sexually assaulted her and held her against her will for 12 hours before her father helped her escape. Maria filed a detailed complaint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, reporting sexual assault and expressing fears about child exploitation.

The consequences were immediate. Maria says Maxwell threatened to burn down her home and destroy her career. Fearing for her life, she abandoned the art world, changed her name, and lived in isolation for more than two decades while her warning disappeared inside government files.

That same year, Annie Farmer—then 16—was invited to Epstein’s Zorro Ranch in New Mexico. She later testified that Maxwell gave her a topless massage and that Epstein climbed into her bed to “cuddle” her. Unlike many survivors, Annie used her real name from the start and later became a key witness in Maxwell’s 2021 sex-trafficking trial.

FBI documented the Farmers’ warnings in 1996 but took no action

The newly released documents confirm that on September 3, 1996, the FBI formally recorded Maria Farmer’s complaint, including her report that nude photos of her younger sisters had been stolen and her explicit concerns about child pornography. Despite this, investigators took no meaningful action. Maria’s legal team argues that this failure enabled Epstein to continue abusing victims for years.

While Maria went into hiding, Annie stepped forward. She became the fourth and final accuser to testify in Maxwell’s trial, offering first-hand testimony that helped establish Maxwell’s role in the abuse of a minor and contributed directly to her conviction.

In 2025, the sisters’ fight reached a breaking point. Maria filed a negligence lawsuit against the US government, accusing the FBI of a catastrophic failure to act on her 1996 report. Months later, the DOJ’s document release provided definitive proof that authorities had her warning all along. Maria has described the moment as both “redeeming” and “devastating.”

Annie, now a licensed psychologist, actively pushed for transparency and appeared at the United States Capitol to support legislation that forced the release of the files. Together, the sisters’ stories now stand as documented evidence of how early whistleblowers spoke up—and how the system chose not to listen.