Lana Pozhidaeva

INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY

Svetlana "Lana" Pozhidaeva is a Russian-born former fashion model who has publicly identified as a victim of Jeffrey Epstein. She was introduced to Epstein in 2008 under false pretenses, having been lured with the promise of a Victoria's Secret audition. Over the following approximately 11 years, Epstein exercised pervasive control over her life, managing her immigration status, finances, housing, and photography work. She has described being coerced into sexual activities and pressured into introducing Epstein to other models from the Russian modeling world, a dynamic best understood as coercive exploitation rather than willing participation. She stated: "I was bullied and controlled for more than 10 years by Jeffrey Epstein. I have to learn to stand up for myself now. I am done being bullied by anyone." Following Epstein's death, Pozhidaeva pursued claims against his estate and was deemed eligible for compensation by settlement administrators, requiring her to present evidence of her victimization. Her identity was inadvertently exposed when the Justice Department failed to fully redact her name from the released Epstein files, despite her status as a recognized victim with prior settlement protections. She has since taken an active role in reclaiming her narrative, cooperating with journalists, and flagging remaining redaction errors to the DOJ. Russian-language press coverage framed her involvement through the lens of recruitment, but her own testimony and legal recognition confirm she was a victim subject to coercion throughout her association with Epstein.