Moment Jeffrey Epstein survivor realised she was 'in great danger' and 'thought she was going to die'

Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.

A woman who was sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein has told how she feared her family would never see her again after she boarded his private jet.

Juliette Bryant revealed she 'suddenly realised' the gravity of the situation she was in while thousands of feet in the air and sat next to the convicted sex offender.

Epstein, 66, was awaiting trial on a string of charges when he took his own life in his New York prison cell in August 2019.

However, a forensic pathologist who was present at his post mortem has since thrown the official narrative into disrepute, claiming that 'the evidence points toward homicide rather than suicide'.

Amid the US Justice Department releasing millions of documents related to Epstein, his name and face has been plastered everywhere - which has left Juliette feeling 'physically ill'.

Juliette Bryant told how Jeffrey Epstein first attacked her on his private jet (Kypros/Getty Images)

"I look on Facebook, I see Epstein's face," the 43-year-old told Sky News. "I look on X, I see Epstein's face. I look at the news, there it is again.

"You know, there are times when it's made me feel physically ill, to be honest, it is just constantly there and there is no way of escaping it."

For Juliette, his face is a reminder of one of the most terrifying times in her life.

She was a 20-year-old university student who was 'struggling financially' when she first met Epstein in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2002 and she initially thought her 'dreams were coming true'.

The aspiring model believed she had secured her big break when she met the disgraced financier at a restaurant while he was accompanied by former US president Bill Clinton.

The sexual abuse survivor was taken to Epstein's notorious island, where she was abused for two-years (Marco Bello/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Screen stars Chris Tucker and Kevin Spacey were also reportedly in tow, as they were attending an official AIDS awareness trip.

Juliette was introduced to Epstein by a group of women, one of whom informed her that her 'friend' - who she dubbed 'the king of America' - was visiting from the US.

Epstein whisked Juliette off to New York shortly after she was recruited by the women, and hours after she touched down in the Big Apple, she was informed she was heading further afield.

She recalled how she was taken to Teterboro Aiport in New Jersey by a driver before hopping onto a private jet bound for the Caribbean, where Epstein and the women were waiting for her.

According to Juliette, Epstein 'patted the chair next to him' to signal her to take a seat beside him. During take off, she alleges that he then began to attack her.

"It was such a confusing situation for a young person to be in," she said.

Juliette, 43, was left in tears as she recounted how she feared for her life (Sky News)

"As the plane took off, he started forcibly touching me in between my legs," Juliette continued. "And I just freaked out and I suddenly realised - 'Oh my God, my family aren't going to see me again, these people might kill me'. [The women] were laughing. I was really petrified.

"I suddenly realised I had to be nice, be friendly, because I was in great danger."

After travelling on the plane which Epstein nicknamed the 'Lolita Express', Juliette was taken to his private island via helicopter.

There, she was repeatedly raped by him over a two-year period. She was not trafficked to other men.

Juliette claimed her passport was taken away from her, leaving her with no way to escape the sex offender's clutches.

"There was just no way of getting away," Juliette added. "I’m not strong enough to swim away. I wouldn’t be able to swim off there."

Juliette explained she only opened up about her ordeal after Epstein's death in 2019, saying: "I'd never even told my family, I never told anyone about what happened with him until he died."

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.