Svetlana Pozhidaeva, a former aide to Jeffrey Epstein, has publicly spoken in detail for the first time about the years she spent around the late financier, saying she was subjected to manipulation, psychological and physical abuse, and was also involved in finding and vetting young women for his circle. In an interview with OCCRP, she admitted that she recruited women, describing it as the “most shameful” thing she has done in her life.
According to the report, Pozhidaeva spent years inside Epstein’s inner circle and held a position that set her apart from many other women linked to his network. Documents from the U.S. Department of Justice cited by OCCRP show that Epstein arranged her appearances at elite gatherings, introduced her to influential figures, and at one point paid her more than $8,000 a month. At the same time, she says she lived under constant pressure, that he pushed her to lose weight, and that he kept her in a relationship of dependence.
Particular attention has focused on claims about her family background. OCCRP reports that journalists and other media outlets found indications that her father, Yuri Pozhidaev, a former lieutenant colonel in the Soviet and Russian military, may have had ties to Russian intelligence structures, including the FSB. Among the factors raising suspicion are his career in security roles on strategic state projects and an earlier email in which Pozhidaeva referred to his “FSB past.” She firmly denies all of this and says her father never worked for the FSB.
The report also shows how carefully Epstein cultivated ties with influential Russian officials and people close to state structures. Among those mentioned in the documents are Russian diplomat Vitaly Churkin and Sergei Belyakov, a former deputy economy minister of Russia and a graduate of the FSB Academy. There is no evidence that Pozhidaev discussed confidential matters with Epstein, but OCCRP says the broader picture only adds to the interest surrounding the story.
Pozhidaeva now lives in the United States under a new name and says she is trying to help other victims, but that the shadow of the past, by her own account, still follows her.
