Jean-Luc Brunel, the French modeling agent accused of procuring underage women for Jeffrey Epstein, was found hanged in his Paris jail cell—in a shocking replay of how Epstein himself died.
The 76-year-old was found during a night-time check by guards at La Santé early Saturday, officials told Le Monde.
His attorneys told the paper that the apparent suicide “was not driven by guilt, but by a deep sense of injustice.”
Epstein and Brunel accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre said it was unfortunate that the Frenchman would not face trial.
“The suicide of Jean-Luc Brunel, who abused me and countless girls and women, ends another chapter. I am disappointed that I was not able to face him in a final trial and hold him accountable for his actions, but gratified that I was able to face him in person in Paris, to keep him in prison,” she said.
Brad Edwards, who has represented Roberts Giuffre, said he believes the Frenchman took his life because he knew his fate was sealed.
“He and Epstein made it only as long as there was hope of getting out,” Edwards told The Daily Beast.
“Virginia’s testimony in France was a major factor in Jean-Luc being jailed. Her recent settlement with Prince Andrew solidified her as a highly credible person. So it cannot be a surprise that he took the same cowardly path as his old pal to avoid true accountability. I feel bad for his many victims but this does not have much impact at all on our investigation, which continues to strengthen.”
Brunel, who founded Karin Models and MC2 Model Management, started being investigated by French prosecutors in August 2019. He was arrested in December 2020 while attempting to board a flight to Dakar in Senegal.
At that time, prosecutor Remy Heitz said in a statement that Brunel “is suspected of having committed acts of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment on various minor or major victims and of having in particular organized the transport and accommodation of young girls or young women on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein.”
He was undeniably a close associate of Epstein, who killed himself by hanging in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
His name appeared more than 15 times on flight logs for Epstein’s private jet, and photos used as evidence in the case against Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell showed him palling around with her and Epstein.
He also visited Epstein dozens of times during the financier’s first jail stint—in Florida, for procuring an underage girl for prostitution.
Logs from Epstein’s Palm Beach home included messages from Brunel that appeared to refer to young girls. In one note, Brunel reported that he “just did a good one—18 years” who told him “I love Jeffrey.” In another, Brunel stressed that “he has a teacher for you to teach how to speak Russian … She is 2×8 years old not blonde. Lessons are free and you can have 1st today if you call.”
Giuffre claimed in legal filings that she was forced to sleep Brunel, among others, while she was Epstein’s “sex slave.” She accused Brunel of using his modeling agency to import girls and young women and “farm them out to his friends, including Epstein.”
“A lot of the girls came from poor countries or poor backgrounds, and he lured them in with a promise of making good money,” Giuffre said in a 2015 affidavit. “Jeffrey Epstein has told me that he has slept with over 1,000 of Brunel’s girls, and everything that I have seen confirms this claim.”
Allegations of misconduct against Brunel predate the Epstein scandal, however. In 1988, 60 MinutesinterviewedAmerican models who worked with him in Paris who accused Brunel of drugging and molesting them.
Brunel professed his innocence through it all.
“I strongly deny having committed any illicit act or any wrongdoing in the course of my work as a scouter or model agencies manager,” he said in a 2015 statement. “I have exercised with the utmost ethical standard for almost 40 years.”
French police have now opened an inquiry into Brunel’s death. When Epstein was found hanged, it triggered a swirl of conspiracy theories that he was murdered, which persist to this day even though the medical examiner ruled it a suicide. Brunel’s death under such similar circumstances is sure to jumpstart the rumor mill.
OMG, they’ve struck again…..
Every scumbag pedophile communist Democrat and Rhino need to be put in prison so they can wind up like Epstein,especially that vial Pig Clinton these people better stay in hiding for what they’re doing to our country, they have attacked our religion and beliefs and they will die for it, keep pushing the American people and watch what happens to these vile santanist worshiping pigs
You better get facts straight buddy. Trump is a Republican and there are multiple pictures of him and Epstein together, he flew to Epstein’s Island multiple times. Remember there is a lawsuit against him for forcebly having sex with a 13 year old on the island. Clinton is no angel, but Trump is definately no angel. Cheated on first wife with Marla, Cheated on Melania while she was pregnant with a XXX actress, club performer. So watch what you say, Men are just as evil no matter what party they are affliated. As many GOP men have paid for GF’s to have abortions as DNC men have, they just don’t want to admit it. They want the USA to be like Hitler’s Germany. No longer free.