Facts About Molly Skye Brown, The Woman Ghislaine Maxwell Allegedly Tried To Recruit When She Was Just 14
This is troubling.
Getty Images As if the case against Jeffrey Epstein and his former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, couldn’t get any more troubling, a woman named Molly Skye Brown has come forward to detail her experience with Ghislaine Maxwell when she was just a 14-year-old girl. Who is Molly Skye Brown, and what did she allege about Ghislaine Maxwell when she encountered the disgraced socialite in 1992?
Who is Molly Skye Brown?
Molly Skye Brown is a former model and beauty queen who lived in Palm Beach, Florida around the time Ghislaine Maxwell allegedly tried to recruit her for Jeffrey Epstein.
“I was 14, I was starting to get more into modeling, acting, singing and pageants with the expectation of making some scholarship money or grant money to further my education,” Brown said. “I was working at a gym in Palm Beach county in the childcare facility; they gave you a free membership if you worked there two to four hours at the weekend.”
She is also the host of a podcast called Let’s Be Frank. On her latest episode, which came out on Aug. 2, she discussed her story about Ghislaine Maxwell and detailed what she went through as a teen.
How did Molly Skye Brown meet Ghislaine Maxwell?
Molly Skye Brown allegedly met Ghislaine Maxwell at the gym Brown worked at as a teen.
“I was on the elliptical machine working out, which is by the front window. I was half-naked, a young girl with an exercise outfit on, showing my body,” Brown said. “I saw Maxwell walk by and she stopped. I was the only one in there. She looked me up and down, then came into the gym, walked to the front counter and I could hear her say: ‘I’m not going to be long, I just want to talk to this girl.’”
Molly then described how Ghislaine Maxwell approached her while she was alone.
“She walks towards me and hands me her business card. She introduced herself, said she was a modeling scout and asked, ‘Do I do any modeling?’” Brown recalled. “I said I did. She said, ‘Well, you have the look, how old are you?’ I told her my age and she said, ‘Oh my God, you look so much older, you could easily pass for 18.’”
A condition Brown was born with may have saved her from being recruited.
Molly Skye Brown revealed that she was born with congenital hip dysplasia, and as a result, walks with a limp. Even though Maxwell painted the picture of a luxurious, jet-setting model lifestyle for the young teen, she didn’t buy it for a second — mainly because she knew she couldn’t walk on the catwalk.
“I’ve had reconstructive surgery, but my knees are dislocated, I limp, and I’ve already been told by professional agencies that I was never catwalk modeling material,” Brown said.
“I told Maxwell I really preferred acting, singing and musical theatre,” Brown continued. “She said, ‘Well, if you change your mind, I have a lot of modeling opportunities.’”
A friend of Molly’s detailed a similar experience.
Ghislaine Maxwell reportedly used to scour the Altamonte Mall in Orlando, Florida for underage girls as well. “Another girlfriend of mine told me that Ghislaine used to come up to scout up there,” she said. “She’d be roaming the shops, handing out her card. It happened regularly.”
And although Molly told her story to the FBI, they told her she doesn’t have a case.
Where is Ghislaine Maxwell today?
After her July 2 arrest, Ghislaine Maxwell was moved to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. Her trial is scheduled for July 2021.
Sexual abuse of children and minors is incredibly common.
According to the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN), 1 in 9 girls and 1 in 53 boys under the age of 18 have experienced sexual abuse from an adult. Girls are far more likely to be victims of sexual abuse; the organization reports that 82% of all victims under 18 are female, and those who do suffer from assault and abuse are more likely to also develop mental health issues like depression, PTSD, and drug abuse.
There are ways to help child abuse victims.
Want to get involved to bring an end to child sexual abuse? There are a few things you can do. There are organizations like Prevent Child Abuse America that are good places to start and that are always looking for people to donate their time and money to their efforts. The organization also suggests writing to local elected officials to support policies that bring an end to sexual abuse, and of course, the simplest thing to do is to keep eyes and ears open and to report abuse when you see it — and to always take children seriously when they say they're being abused.
Olivia Jakiel is an editor and writer who covers celebrity and entertainment news. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her zingers on Twitter.