58 Comments
Aug 19, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

Fascinating article!! Love these “behind closed doors” snippets!! Thanks, Jessica ❤️👏🏼

Expand full comment
Aug 19, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

G behaves in a very typical way of a certain type of privileged ex public school , they flatter and praise those beneath them whom may be useful ( and will drop them very quickly if they aren’t ) It is all part of their controlling tactics and they expect people who work for them or provide a service to be flattered to even be chosen and therefore give in to all their demands .

Expand full comment
author

Yes, you're right. I see what you mean.

Expand full comment
Aug 19, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

Love your articles, Jessica!! You always entertain, draw me in, and want more. It is pretty amazing how much you have gathered from this whole story, and the people who have shared things with you. Thank you!!

Expand full comment
Aug 21, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

Love the new perspective, & such a cool article! 🥳🙌🏼 1. What a cool 3 months he had being a dog walker in elegant NY 2. I feel sad for him that he lost touch with Dana 3. Looks like Bill didn’t know how to spell Ghislaine lol

Expand full comment
author

Omg! I didn’t even notice 😆

Expand full comment
Aug 20, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

Great source Jessica! It proves you’re established as a journalist on the circuit. If anyone pays attention to press junkets, they are all basically the same interview. It’s the spin you give it, that truly makes the article.

I feel I understand Ghislaine’s personality a bit better. Her “tests” are a hand tip into her relationship with her father. What a childhood! It’s interesting because siblings all have different experiences with parents and sometimes will say there was no difference in the way they were treated. But not so. It’s the timing and the filter those experiences flow through that shape personalities. Ghislaine obviously felt lacking in some way and bends over backward to test and then reward good behavior. It’s all based in self loathing though, unfortunately, it seems.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks Robyn. Love your take. And, you're right - about the press junket. 90% of what we read is just regurgitated information. It's up to each writer to put a personal spin on it. Rasmus gave me the same details & photos that he provided other outlets. It's style and framing that customizes things. In this case, I preferred to inject audio clips of our conversation over an embedded podcast. And that's just a personal preference of mine. Sometimes I specially use less photos. It all depends on the piece.

Anyway, this is just a slice of a longer series I'm sporadically unfolding in between other tales. More of what you mention will be uncovered - about how her childhood essentially set her up for failure later in life.

Everything you picked up on I agree with.

Happy to know it translates. Xx

Expand full comment
Aug 20, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

Jessica, I have to say that the stories you have shared about GM are truly captivating and insightful. Your vivid descriptions and detailed account of her life provide us with a deep understanding of her personality and the various facets of her existence. It is evident that she was a complex individual, plagued by her own inner demons and eccentricities.

In delving into GM's life, it becomes clear that she was a tortured soul, grappling with the haunting weight of her own eccentric traits. Her idiosyncrasies, though fascinating, seem to have contributed to her isolation and a certain level of distress. One can't help but feel a profound sense of sadness for her, particularly as her days of relative freedom dwindled and she found herself trapped in a web of paranoia and fear towards the end.

The mere thought of GM being gripped by the constant fear of being arrested evokes a sense of empathy within us. It is almost unimaginable to live in a perpetual state of anxiety, constantly looking over one's shoulder in anticipation of impending doom. This fear, undoubtedly, must have cast a dark shadow over her already enigmatic existence, making every moment a struggle as she tried to navigate her way through life without Epstein.

The depiction of GM's apparent paranoia sheds light on just how deeply it affected her. The constant scrutiny and suspicion that seemed to plague her every waking moment must have been absolutely overwhelming. It is alarming to consider the toll such a state of mind can take on an individual, gradually eroding their sense of trust in others and distorting their perception of the world. Imagine having all those millions and homes only to lose everything in the end.

Overall, Jessica, your poignant narrative not only shines a light on GM's personality but also provides valuable insight into the myriad of emotions and experiences she grappled with. By delving into the intricate details of her life, you have artfully conveyed the despair and isolation that ultimately defined her existence.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you, Kathryn for being open and interested enough to consider all of these things you express above. They are all the same factors I am most interested in this whole case and her as a complicated and compelling character study at the center of it.

Expand full comment
Aug 19, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

She is weird looking, im trying to find the regal parts ..so hard to find what was impressive about her...and how or why she could move in those circles

Expand full comment
Aug 20, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

She exuded elegance, charisma, wealth and power. There is no need for further accolades of beauty. 😅

Expand full comment
author

To me, the fact that she is not commonly “pretty” makes the power of her seduction a lot more compelling.

How did she do it? We understand how obvious and outright beauty can be a force of destruction, but she complicates that matter because she is not what most consider to be stereotypically “beautiful.” However, she wielded sexuality - that of others and herself (in every instance of her life) to get to this point of extreme power. Before it all exploded on her.

So yes, charismatic seduction, I think, is a more interesting factor in this twisted tale.

Expand full comment
Aug 20, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

Yes, it was written ( badly) as two different observation by me!

Expand full comment
Aug 22, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

I’m new to your work and this Substack and I love everything so far. You are opening my eyes and helping me ask questions. This is a random question and not the point of this article at all, but have you ever talked about faith anywhere or talked about what your faith is? I ask that because I’m on my own journey, trying to figure out what I believe and I feel like you do such a good job, researching and asking questions I would love to know your thoughts, lol. But I know that might not even be an area, you care or think about at all.

Expand full comment
author

That is actually a great question. I'm surprised it hasn't been asked before.

I don't belong to any prescribed religion, but I am interested in faith and how it shapes and anchors other people in their lives. I do believe in a God, but I am very open to how that looks and feels to different people. I also believe in karma and fate and destiny and signs of spiritual nature that can help direct us to intended purposes. If that makes sense?

I am very open to all kinds of theories about any topic if they can be supported (to a degree) with practical and grounding evidence.

Expand full comment
Aug 22, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

That makes a lot of sense. Thank you for replying. I like the way you hold it with an open hand. I live in a very small rural town where conservative Christianity is the norm. I’ve started to want to examine what I believe for myself. It’s daunting, but exciting, except for the fact that I won’t be able to know for sure if I’m “right”. That’s hard, lol.

Expand full comment
author

For what's it worth, I fully support you in this examination. Tough and exciting is right.

xx

Expand full comment
Aug 21, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

Another great read! Has it been mentioned before that Scott was rumored to be CIA? If so, I had missed that. That really grabbed my attention and brings a whole new level of government corruption to the front. Also, explains why her money has been held hostage. (By our own government?) I want to hear more of this possibility...

Expand full comment
author

I actually had not heard this before. I'm not sure I believe that only because I haven't seen enough evidence to support that theory.

But, you're defintely onto something RE government being heavily intertwined.

Expand full comment
Aug 19, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

So happy you posted this right now! I’m early for a farm tour and was wishing I had a HIH article to read!

Expand full comment
author

Cheers to timing! Have fun at the farm.

Expand full comment
Aug 19, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

Thank you! Loving the article so far 💗

Expand full comment
Aug 22, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

This was fascinating! Even more so because my colleague and medical director was a Swede. I still make his wife’s Saffron Bread during Christmastime!!!!

Expand full comment
author

that sounds delicious.

Expand full comment

It’s amazing-a tradition I cherish

Expand full comment

Does he have the sponge cake recipe still?

Expand full comment
author

Let me ask him!

Expand full comment

Omg I would LOVE that cake recipe. We could all make a Maxwell cake😆

Expand full comment

Hi! Several sections of this article are direct quotes from my story I did about this last year, Ghislaine Maxwell's Swedish Secret on YouTube. Please attribute your sources. This story was covered last year by The Daily Beast, The Daily Mail, The Independent, and all properly attributed the source of the info. Other sections that aren't direct quotes from my story are direct quotes from The Daily Beast story.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you for writing, Raeden. I will. These conversations with Rasmus were recorded a year ago. I am just now getting around to unfolding this series because I've been collecting additional sources along the way. I know it was covered by other outlets - I am one of several who spoke with him, I'm just delayed in sharing my version because it became a longer series than I anticipated.

Expand full comment

Thanks for your reply. I know that you interviewed him last year. He has kept me apprised of every interview request and media inquiry he received after my story came out. I pitched it to The Daily Beast to get the initial coverage where my work is both cited and the video embedded into the article. The story originated with me and my video is quoted verbatim without attribution here.

Expand full comment
author

I realize you were the first to cover this story. But like all things, especially anything Epstein related, these tales circulate and recirculate. Kim Burns has been written about before, as well. So has her ex husband - In great depth. I share my versions of these topics without claiming I have anything "exclusive." Rasmus pretty much repeated all of the same details in every article I've seen. Thats why he's so believable. His story doesn't change. And, I took two full pages of notes when I spoke to him.

When this series is through, I planned to recap it in a different way (shorter with more visuals) on IG stories. I actually planned on using clips of your video interview for it. But this story is the way he told it to me, on the phone. Of course some details appear as repeated summaries, but I did not outright rip you off if that's what you're insinuating. I just waited a year to start this unfolding this series because the story kept growing after I spoke to him. And I've been covering other things that took precedence.

Expand full comment

Regardless of how many people cover the same story, you must attribute your sources. If you're unsure if you used someone's work, just attribute them.

Expand full comment

Okay Liz, normally I don’t comment on other people’s comments unless they’re like this one! Did you read where Jessica said she did not outright rip her off? Did you also read where she said she interviewed him? Enough said..

Expand full comment
author

I not only interviewed him (on separate occasions) I have notes in quotes from his comments in our interviews — only portions of our convo was included here.

It seems more like someone is upset I didn’t embed her podcast. Fact is, This is Rasmus’s story. Period. He spoke to several outlets outside of me, as well. All his interviews echo the same sentiments & information he shared with her. Because that IS The story. His story.

Somehow she thinks she owns this story because she was the first to post it.

That’s not how journalism works.

Expand full comment

This does seem like a cool 3 month vacation

Expand full comment
author

agree.

Expand full comment

I have a theory on GM lol..I suspect, she’s well aware of Jess..anyone else agree?

Expand full comment
author

LOL. I only know my letters are read.

Expand full comment
Aug 23, 2023Liked by Jessica Reed Kraus

She totally has you on her radar. I told Neil I think it’s bc she doesn’t want you or your family involved in how dark and scary it all is😆💁🏼‍♀️ just making up the storylines in my head🙂🙃

Expand full comment

This is exactly what I thought to myself after reading/listening tonight. I wonder if she’s here, right along with the rest of us. 😬😁

Expand full comment

I feel like SOMEONE is absolutely on here and telling her the scoop😆 It’s my story and I’m sticking to it!!! I don’t care if I’m being delusional💁🏼‍♀️

Expand full comment

Have we talked about the fact that Terramar can issue passports? Is that wild to anyone else? Why does Ghislaine find it crucial for her house staff to have one?

Expand full comment