Supermodel Karen Mulder has broken a 30-year silence to speak about her experiences in the fashion industry, alleging she suffered "horrible, inhumane things" that led to her abrupt departure from the spotlight.
Mulder, who was one of the highest-earning models of the 1990s, working for brands such as Chanel, Dior, and Victoria's Secret and gracing the cover of Vogue nine times, has resurfaced as the cover star for German Vogue's September issue. In an exclusive interview, she discusses her early exit from a career at its peak.
In 2001, at the age of 32, Mulder appeared on a French talk show alleging coercive behavior, severe abuse, and drug use within the industry. Although the show did not air, she repeated these allegations to French police. Shortly after, she was admitted to a psychiatric facility in Paris, and upon leaving, she told authorities she had "fabricated" her accusations.
In the recent German Vogue interview, Mulder stated she was "was locked away" and "silenced," and was "forced to say I had made it all up." While not specifying who was responsible, she alluded to "horrible, inhumane things" that occurred. She expressed disappointment, saying, "I thought that because I was famous, people would believe me." Mulder added, "All I wanted was for those terrible things to stop – for men to stop thinking they could do whatever they pleased."
Mulder's name has been mentioned in connection with files related to Jeffrey Epstein, although she claims she never met him in person. The files reportedly expose the practice of supplying women to powerful men through modeling agents.
Gerald Marie, Mulder's former agent and owner of Elite, has been accused of rape by six women, some of whom were models working for him in the 1980s and 1990s. Marie, who was previously married to supermodel Linda Evangelista, denies all allegations. In March, 15 former models reportedly provided legal documents to the Paris prosecutor linking Marie to Epstein.
Mulder stated that she feels "now is the right time to come back" and is looking "to the future with nothing but positivity." A catwalk appearance is scheduled for next month.