The Modeling Pipeline: Brunel, MC2, and the Fashion Industry

Exploitation in Plain Sight

Jean-Luc Brunel, the French modeling agent, served as one of Jeffrey Epstein's primary recruiters — using the legitimate modeling industry as a pipeline for trafficking young women from around the world. His agency MC2 Model Management was funded by Epstein and operated from Miami, New York, and Tel Aviv.

Jean-Luc Brunel

Brunel had been accused of sexual misconduct in the modeling industry since the 1980s — a full two decades before his association with Epstein became public. A 1988 60 Minutes investigation documented allegations against him. Despite this, Brunel continued to operate with impunity across multiple countries.

In 2020, Brunel was arrested in Paris on charges of rape of minors and sex trafficking. In February 2022, he was found dead in his prison cell — officially ruled a suicide by hanging, eerily mirroring Epstein's death.

MC2 Model Management

Epstein provided the startup funding for MC2, which operated as both a legitimate modeling agency and, according to victim testimony, a recruitment front. Models were promised careers but instead found themselves in situations of exploitation. Brunel personally supplied "ichiban" (Japanese for "number one") — his term for young virgins — directly to Epstein.

The Victoria's Secret Connection

Leslie Wexner's ownership of Victoria's Secret provided another nexus. Brunel and Epstein reportedly used the promise of Victoria's Secret auditions to lure aspiring models. Multiple victims describe being told they could get modeling work through Epstein's connections.

Key Victims' Testimony

Multiple women have testified that Brunel brought them from South America, Eastern Europe, and France under the guise of modeling opportunities, only to find themselves trafficked to Epstein.