When did Jeffrey Epstein buy his Upper Eastside Manhattan home? Internet sleuths claim Trump accuser Stacey Williams' story is not accurate
The timeline of Jeffrey Epstein's acquisition of his notorious Upper East Side Manhattan mansion has come under renewed scrutiny, as internet sleuths question the accuracy of Trump accuser Stacey Williams' claims.
On October 24, 2024, American model Stacey Williams, in an approximately five-minute video interview with The Guardian, claimed that former President Donald Trump groped her in 1993. Williams further alleged that she met Trump through Epstein, a convicted s*x offender, at his Upper East Side Manhattan mansion.
"[We] went up the elevator and moments later Trump was greeting us and he pulled me into him and started groping me. He put his hands all over my breasts, my waist, my butt, and I froze," William said.
However, internet sleuths on X have cast doubt on Williams' claims, suggesting her accusations are inaccurate. They pointed out that Jeffrey Epstein acquired the Upper East Side Manhattan mansion in 1996, not in 1993 as Williams stated. To support their argument, the investigators cited quotes from Business Insider, further discrediting the timeline presented in her allegations.
"The liar in this story claims that she went on a walk with Epstein in 1993 by his Upper East Side home when he took her to see Trump. There’s only one problem which is that Epstein didn’t move there until 1996," one wrote.
"Strange: Epstein only moved into the Wexler mansion on 9 East 71st in 1996," another on X.
Jeffrey Epstein’s Upper East Side Manhattan mansion acquisition explored
According to Business Insider, Jeffrey Epstein moved into the Upper East Side Manhattan mansion in 1996. However, there was no evidence at the time indicating that Epstein was the official owner.
It was not until 2011 when Vanity Fair revealed that Les Wexner, CEO of L Brands, had gifted the property to Epstein, that the true nature of the transaction became public. The mansion, valued at $77 million, was transferred to Epstein without any money exchange, ultimately being recorded as a $0 purchase.
Moreover, as per Business Insider, Les Wexner purchased the townhouse for $13.2 million in 1989. In 1998, Wexner sold the property to Nine East 71st Street Corporation (NES) for an undisclosed sum. Public records from 2011 indicate that Jeffrey Epstein had some level of ownership in NES, though the specifics of his connection to the corporation remain unclear.
Jeffrey Epstein never publicly disclosed the acquisition of the mansion. Additionally, according to Vox, the property is a seven-story, 21,000-square-foot residence and is regarded as one of the largest private homes in Manhattan.
Stacey Williams' allegations against Trump explained:
On Thursday, Stacey Williams, a model, shared a video message via Zoom with The Guardian, which subsequently went viral across social media platforms. In the video clip, Williams recounted an incident from 1993, claiming that Jeffrey Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump during a meeting at his Upper East Side Manhattan mansion.
She also mentioned that she first met Trump in 1992 at a Christmas party held at Trump Tower. During her visit, Williams expressed to The Guardian that she felt "disgusted" when Trump allegedly molested her in 1993.
"He made me feel so disgusting and I remember being so utterly confused. I felt shame and disgust and as we went our separate ways, I felt this sensation of revisiting it, while the hands were all over me," Williams said.
During the Zoom call with The Guardian, Williams also remarked that Trump and Epstein appeared to be very close and spent considerable time together.
"It became very clear then that he and Donald were really, really good friends and spent a lot of time together," Williams noted.
She further suggested that she and Jeffrey Epstein dated briefly, indicating that he was interested in her at the time he introduced her to Trump. According to Williams, they were involved romantically during that period.
As of now, Trump has not responded to these claims.