Dutch model Yfke Sturm says contact with Epstein was a ‘serious misjudgment’
Dutch model Yfke Sturm said she now regrets her past contact with Jeffrey Epstein after newly released U.S. Justice Department records cited her name repeatedly, including in alleged sexually explicit exchanges.
In a written statement to RTL Boulevard, Sturm, 44, said her foremost concern is with victims of sexual abuse. “Above all, my thoughts go out to the women and girls who were harmed,” she said. “I believe them, I support them, and I unequivocally condemn the abuse they experienced. Nothing in this statement is intended to minimize the seriousness of these crimes or the lasting impact on survivors.”
Sturm said she regrets her earlier contact with Epstein. “With what I know now, I see that my earlier involvement was a serious misjudgment,” she said. “At the time, I was naive and did not fully understand who Epstein was or the harm he caused. I deeply regret that.”
“Throughout my life and career, I have consistently stood up for women’s rights, women’s safety, and the right of survivors to be heard with dignity and respect,” Sturm said, adding that she supports reforms aimed at accountability and justice.
Dutch television programs Hart van Nederland and Shownieuws reported that Sturm’s name appears frequently in the records released Friday by the U.S. Department of Justice. According to Hart van Nederland, the documents indicate that Epstein had intensive contact beginning in late 2011 with an email account associated with Sturm, using email, text messages, and Skype. The exchanges began more than three years after Epstein was convicted of soliciting a minor and required to register as a sex offender.
The earliest messages show Epstein contacting the account in December 2011 to request help finding assistants. He specified that candidates should be no older than 25 and willing to work long hours and travel frequently.
The records also indicate Epstein became involved in Sturm’s divorce from her then-partner, Imad Izemrane. According to the documents, Epstein offered financial support and access to divorce lawyers and advised the sender on how to communicate with Izemrane. In one exchange, Epstein instructed the sender to threaten to make public that she had financially supported Izemrane for many years.
The files include alleged sexually explicit communications. In one exchange dated February 2012, Epstein instructed the sender on how to pose for a photograph in a “massage pose,” telling the person to “make it very, very sexy.” A few days later, he asked for additional photos.
In another exchange from December 2012, sent from an account using Sturm’s email address, the sender described New Year’s Eve plans and replied to Epstein—who said he was on his private island — with the message: “Any cute girls?”
After 2012, the frequency of contact appears to have declined. The documents show fewer exchanges in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, the sender informed Epstein that she was pregnant with her boyfriend’s child.
Hart van Nederland reported that significant questions remain about the nature and extent of the contact, noting that not all documents have been made public.
Sturm’s manager also responded, saying, “I sympathize with everyone involved and would like to emphasize that these events occurred during a period when I did not represent Yfke.”
The Justice Department release references numerous prominent figures connected to Epstein, including Bill Gates, Woody Allen, Donald Trump, and Bill Clinton. Several European royals are also named, including Britain’s Prince Andrew and Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit.
