The Farmer Sisters
Previously published on Blue Amp Media
Trigger Warning: this article contains discussion of sexual abuse, and sexual abuse of a minor
After pouring over Vicky Ward's 2003 article in Vanity Fair, titled the "The Talented Mr. Epstein," I came away with a sick feeling that something wasn’t being said in the cryptic, yet gushing description of the billionaire bachelor with a "70-acre island" and a "fleet of aircraft."
Another article published 16 years later would answer my questions, if not lead to a few new ones. What Ward hadn't said was that three women had come forward to accuse Jeffrey Epstein, before the list, the files, the island, even before Me Too. Somehow they had summoned the bravery to be the very first ones to tell a young journalist their story.
It began with Maria Farmer, 26, who worked for Jeffrey Epstein as an art advisor after he offered to help her painting career. While in college, the dean of the New York Academy of Art, Eileen Guggenheim, had introduced her to Epstein and his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, telling the young artist to sell them a painting she'd done of a man staring at a woman on a sofa. Ms. Guggenheim later said she recalled no such interaction.
Farmer would go on to acquire art for Epstein's massive Upper East Side mansion, later working the front desk, where she was the first and last eyes on every visitor coming in and out of Epstein's home. Some were models, often coming for "auditions for the lingerie retailer Victoria's Secret." Most were young.
Farmer said Maxwell would go out in a car, hunting for young girls, whom she referred to as "nubiles.” This was the same term that would later pop up in a letter from Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar, days before he was found dead in his jail cell.
"They had a driver, and he would be driving along, and Ghislaine would say, 'Get that girl.' And they'd stop, and she'd run out and get the girl and talk to her." - Maria Farmer
At one point Maria traveled to another of Epstein’s properties in Ohio, inside a larger complex owned by Les Wexner, CEO of L Brands. One late summer night both Epstein and Maxwell paid a visit, and Epstein asked her to massage his feet. She thought it strange, but he'd let her stay in his friend Wexner’s sprawling mansion, so she did what he asked. He moaned like he was in pain, clearly pleasured, then invited her to sit on his bed and watch a PBS program about math. Again, awkward, but she did as he asked. Maxwell joined them on the bed, and soon both older adults were groping the young woman, to the point of bruising her nipples and doing everything in "unison, mirroring each other's movements." Farmer left the bed and locked herself in another room, calling her father and an art mentor on the phone for help. She would report everything to the police.
When Epstein became embroiled in his first sexual-assault-of-a-minor case, Farmer told a newspaper she'd been invited to an "impromptu meeting" in Epstein's office in 1995 when Donald Trump walked in.
"Mr. Trump hovered over her and stared at her legs, making her feel scared." - Cameron Henderson, the NY Times
Epstein noticed, too, and cleared the air. "She's not for you." The pair left, but Farmer heard Trump say he thought she looked about 16 years old. She was 25. It was her first and last experience with the future President. But something about it felt off, and when she was interviewed by the FBI about the case in 2006, she recommended they look into Epstein's relationship with Donald Trump. The FBI claim never to have had this conversation.
“She’s not for you.” - Jeffrey Epstein
When Maria's younger sister, Annie, came to visit New York City she got along quite well with Epstein. He even offered to mentor her and help her get into college. But when he took her to the movies one afternoon, he reached over to touch her in the dark. She was only 16.
The following are Annie’s redacted journal entries from 1996, released by the DOJ on December 23, 2025. She and her sister Maria have given me permission to name them in these entries.
“I’m so excited. [MARIA’S] Boss bought me a ticket to come out and see her. it has been almost a year - scary. He is very wealthy and might help me get into or pay for college. I don’t want to get my hopes up because I hate dissapointment [sic] but it would be really cool if it happened and even if it doesn’t it is so great I get to go see her.”
January 7, 1996
“I got back from my trip to NY today. I had such a great time it is really depressing to be back home. I feel like it was a trip that changed my whole outlook on life. I guess I always feel that way a little bit when I get back from trips - but it is overwhelming this time. I am so ready to be out of high school and in college. Everything seems to silly, - going out, etc - it did a little before anyway - I even feel a little isolated from my friends. Before I left I was on a high of how great my friends were. I still realize how wonderful they are but I feel more independent, like they aren’t necessary. I felt like this when I got back from Mexico and it faded quickly but I have a feeling it is different this time. New York is such an amazing city. I felt really comfortable there - like I know that I belonged there and would live there at some point hopefully soon. I miss [MARIA] so much already it seems unfair that I can’t see her more often. I feel like I’m missing so much. There is so much to tell about the trip I don’t know where to begin. The best night was when [MARIA] and I saw Phantom of the Opera. We went to Jeff Epstein’s house and had champagne w/ him. I found him down to earth and easy to talk to. I thanked him so much for the trip, etc. We then took…”
“…his car - his driver actually took us to Phantom. I didn't know any play could be so moving. I had seen it before but still couldn’t believe it. I balled - it was fantastic. After the play we walked around the Plaza and went home. It was so much fun. I met [MARIA'S] boyfriend and [REDACTED] he was different than I expected - pretty cute, nice, but they didn't get along very well at the beg(inning), which made me pretty annoyed w/ him. he turned out to be pretty cool once he chilled out. His brother [REDACTED] was 25 and we hung out with him a lot. at 1st I didn't think he was as cute as she had said but quickly found him really cute. We hung out for the 1st couple days than the 4 of us went to their cabin. We had a lot of fun, x-country skied, watched Sleuth (**** movie) and hung out. We had to sleep in the same bed and ended up talking for a really long time. I kind of wanted something to happen but didn't know I just thought he was cute and fun. I didn't see him again until Friday we went to a club to watch some bands, to a bar and then [MARIA] announced she was staying at Jeffreys and asked [REDACTED] to stay w/ me. I was secretly happy but didn't want him to think I had wanted her to do this so acted kind of upset. They left us at [REDACTED] w/ [REDACTED]. I wondered if he wanted…”
“…to [REDACTED] about it because she worships him and it would just create problems. I couldn’t tell anyone else because it is not a big deal and I didn’t want to portray him in a bad light. I really don’t think it is a big deal. I think he is just a relaxed guy and likes to flirt,, or was being fatherly or something. I know this sounds like me trying to justify him doing something weird but it isn’t.” Right now my big concern is what I am going to do this summer. There are so many cool things to do and amazing places to go. Right now I am really thinking about doing something in Africa. It would be incredible - so different, so beautiful, all the different people I would love it. I think I will really be happy doing almost anything. I am entering, actually am in a pretty good period. This could all be over by tomorrow but I feel pretty happy right now and excited for the future, (not immediate - track and school), this summer, senior year, and college. I am having a lot of fun w/ [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]. We have so much fun doing things together. [MARIA] is having some problems and kind of alienating herself from everyone. I hope she gets over it. Things are also going well w/ [REDACTED]. [REDACTED] and I’ve been talking to [REDACTED] a little more although still not enough. It makes me a little sad to think about it and mad because it seems like she doesn’t make much of an effort.”
Annie didn’t write anything for another 18 days, but when she did it was clear her feelings about the trip to New York had changed.
June 25, 1996
‘It has been a couple of weeks since I got back and I have gotten back into the swing of things. A couple of quick details about NY I didn’t mention earlier — went to see The Duchess - a decent play, and Blue Man group (Tubes) off broadway really cool production. Went to the flea market where I got some cool stuff, went to Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion, went to the Met, a pretty fun New Year’s Eve party, went to thrift stores where I got an amazing dress for prom, it’s from the fifties, lace with pink flowers w/ rhinestones in the middle all over it, it is my dream dress. One night we went to the movies w/ Jeffrey Epstein. It was a little weird one of those things that is hard to explain we were sitting next to each other and he put out his hand for me to hold and we were holding hands (not weird, normal and fine) then he kind of caressed/rubbed my arm and shoe/foot - It was one of those things that just gave me a weird feeling but wasn’t that weird and probably normal - the one thing that kind of weirded me out about it was he let go of my hand when he was talking to [MARIA] - Well I decided it was no big deal, it just made me mad because he is being so amazing - paying for a summer program for me, helping me w/ college - he is so nice and so generous w/ everyone and I just didn’t want to have any weird things about it - I didn’t/couldn’t say anything.”
Years later, Annie looked back on her first experience with Jeffrey Epstein at just 16 years old.
"I felt sick to my stomach. It was not something I was expecting at all." - Annie Farmer.
When he invited her to his massive New Mexico Ranch, she wasn't sure she wanted to go, but knowing Ghislaine Maxwell would be there she felt a little better about the idea, still hoping he could get her into a good college. So she went. And again, he took her to the movies, but this time with Maxwell in tow. Epstein reached over to grab the girl's hand, rubbing her feet and the sides of her arms, hiding nothing from the older woman who sat beside them.
When they arrived back at the property, Maxwell offered to give the girl a massage. Still so naive, she trusted the women. Maxwell "pulled down the sheet and exposed [her] breasts, and started rubbing on [her] breasts,” Farmer would later testify.
"It didn't make sense to me that would happen. I so badly wanted to get off the table and the massage be done. I don't think there was any reason for her to be touching me that way." - Annie Farmer
Jeffrey Epstein didn't participate in the massage, but Annie could feel his eyes close by.
In an interview later with Annie's mother, Janice Swain, the woman said she was told her daughter would be joined by "20 to 25 other students," but that when she came home she was "quiet and withdrawn."
When Maria Farmer discovered that her little sister had also been assaulted and tried to speak up, she received a phone call from Maxwell, threatening to burn all of her artwork.
In 2003 both of the Farmer sisters and their mother went to Vicky Ward of Vanity Fair—who was writing a exposé on Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire bachelor financier—to give a detailed report about their experience with Epstein and Maxwell. At the time, their names were nowhere on the record and this would be the first official accusation against the pair of sexual deviants. To put it lightly, they were fearful. They knew both Epstein and Maxwell had bank accounts big enough to control politics, law enforcement, and the media. And they weren't wrong.
But Ward wrote the article, handing it to her boss, editor Graydon Carter, and leaving to go on maternity leave. She said she received calls from Epstein, asking her questions that made her "extremely uncomfortable," including where she would be giving birth. She said found him threatening, especially after she began questioning his relationships with younger women. But eventually the article hit the fact-checking stage and Ward moved on. Then she received an email.
"You're not going to believe this but Jeffrey Epstein is here. He's in the office. He's in Graydon Carter's office right now." - Phone call from Vanity Fair fact-checker, recounted by Vicky Ward.
Ward said she was left out of the final decision-making.
"I do not know what went on in that office. All I do know is that the final version of that article, which I saw days before I went into labor prematurely, the Farmer sisters, who by now had been exposed to Jeffrey Epstein — we'd put all their allegations to him and Ghislaine Maxwell, had now been taken out of the piece, which put them in a really precarious situation." - Vicky Ward
However, Maria remembers it differently, claiming Ward had actually removed the portion of article about her and her sister because she’d discovered a card Maria sent to Epstein, where she’d signed her name with a heart. “Ghislaine actually made me sign a card and I always sign that way.” The card was part of Epstein’s 1996 birthday book—similar to the 2003 birthday book, something Maria says he received every year—and Farmer and her friend were told to “give Jeffrey these boxer shorts and sign this card from yourselves.”
When word got back to Ghislaine Maxwell that the sisters had gone public, the threatening phone calls began.
"Better be careful and watch your back. I know you go to the West Side Highway all the time. While you're out there, just be really careful because there are a lot of ways to die there."
Graydon Carter, who stepped down as editor of Vanity Fair in 2017, claimed that the reasoning behind dropping the women's stories was because "there were not three sources on the record, and therefore this aspect of the story did not meet our legal and editorial standards."
Maria Farmer gave up her art career, fearful of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's strong presence in the New York art scene. Now she lives quietly in the American Southeast. After a brain-tumor and Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis in 2020, she began painting again.
Annie Farmer went on to get her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and works as a psychotherapist.
Ellie is an author, editor, and owner of Red Pencil Transcripts, and works with filmmakers, podcasts, and journalists all over the world. She lives with her family just outside of New York City.
I feel their fear and their pain. And I applaud their courage in speaking out.
Very well written piece about the beginning of the scandal, and some of its early victims.