DINH DOONG

In a new allegation that has added fuel to an already intense political climate, Stacey Williams, a former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, has come forward claiming that former President Donald Trump groped her in the 1990s in the presence of Jeffrey Epstein. Williams, now speaking publicly for the first time, detailed the alleged incident to CNN, stating that the encounter happened in Trump Tower when she was briefly dating Epstein.

Williams recounted that during a walk along New York’s Fifth Avenue in 1993, Epstein led her to Trump’s office at Trump Tower. Once there, Trump allegedly greeted her by pulling her into him and groping her without consent. “The second he was in front of me, he pulled me into him, and his hands were just on me and didn’t come off,” Williams shared. She described the experience as “out of body,” feeling shocked and humiliated as Trump’s hands roamed across her body. Meanwhile, Trump and Epstein reportedly exchanged smiles and continued talking, leading her to believe she was an unwilling participant in some kind of display.

Williams described how she froze, uncertain of how to respond, recounting, “I think I probably was trying to smile and go through the motions of being engaged the way you would in a social situation. But it was one of the strangest moments of my life.”

Afterward, Williams claimed she felt “a wave of shame” and could barely process what had happened. She told CNN she was too humiliated to confide in others, locking the memory away. Williams shared that she experienced feelings of guilt, especially after Epstein later berated her for allowing Trump’s advances.

A short time after the incident, Williams said she received a postcard signed by Trump and delivered to her modeling agency. The postcard, which bore an image of Palm Beach and his Mar-a-Lago resort, read, “Stacey, Your home away from home. Love, Donald.” While it’s undated, Williams said she discovered it among keepsakes from her modeling career and was reminded of the incident when Trump launched his 2015 presidential campaign.

She later confided in friends about the incident, sharing that Trump had groped her in front of Epstein. CNN spoke to three friends who confirmed Williams had previously disclosed the story in private. One friend recalled finding the postcard on Williams’ kitchen counter, prompting Williams to reveal her story.

The Trump campaign quickly denied Williams’ allegations, attributing the timing of her statement to political motivations ahead of the upcoming presidential election. Campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt noted that Williams shared her story during a Zoom call for “Survivors for Kamala,” a support group for Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. “These accusations, announced on a Harris Campaign call two weeks before the election, are false,” Leavitt said.

Additionally, the Trump campaign has questioned the authenticity of the postcard, arguing that the handwriting does not match Trump’s. However, Williams insisted her decision to come forward now was not influenced by politics but was prompted by a recent documentary release about the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, in which she discussed her experience without naming Trump.

Williams’s decision to publicly discuss the alleged incident was not immediate. During Trump’s initial campaign in 2016, she refrained from sharing her story, partly out of concern for her family and because she wasn’t yet ready to relive the experience. However, the #MeToo movement in 2017 led her to start addressing the incident more openly. She spoke off-the-record to a podcast producer in 2019 about her relationship with Epstein, briefly mentioning Trump’s involvement.

Williams acknowledged that she had tried to bury the memory. “I prided myself on being kind of tough and fighting back, and that was the one time I didn’t,” she explained, adding that this made it difficult to confront the memory. However, her interview in the Sports Illustrated documentary, which premiered recently, led her to reconsider her silence.

Although Williams was informed her comments about “the former president” would be included in the documentary, she decided to make her story public in an attempt to empower others who may have faced similar incidents.

Williams’s account joins a lengthy list of allegations against Trump that first surfaced in 2016, during his initial presidential campaign. Several women have since accused him of groping, kissing, or assaulting them. Trump has categorically denied these accusations, describing them as politically motivated. In addition to Williams’s claims, writer E. Jean Carroll has won defamation suits against Trump after he denied her allegations of rape.

Furthermore, the Trump-Epstein association has been a recurring topic of interest. The two men were photographed together multiple times throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. In a 2002 interview with New York Magazine, Trump referred to Epstein as a “terrific guy” who “likes beautiful women as much as I do,” though he later attempted to distance himself from Epstein after the financier faced criminal charges related to sex trafficking. Trump stated in 2019, “I was not a fan of Jeffrey Epstein,” adding that he had “good taste” for eventually distancing himself from him.

Reflecting on the lasting effects of the encounter, Williams noted that the incident with Trump and Epstein had left an indelible mark. She shared that she had difficulty attending social events where she thought she might see Trump, preferring to avoid him entirely.

Now, Williams hopes her story can inspire others to speak up and address their own experiences. She expressed her dismay at the thought of Trump running for office again, stating, “The thought of that monster being back in the White House is my absolute worst nightmare.”

As the 2024 election looms, Williams’s account adds further complexity to an election already charged with controversies and polarized opinions. Whether her story will impact public opinion remains to be seen, but Williams’s choice to speak out underscores the broader reckoning surrounding allegations of misconduct against public figures.