Former Dutch supermodel Karen Mulder has broken a 25-year silence, claiming she was coerced into retracting her accusations of sexual abuse and exploitation by powerful men within the modeling industry. In a recent interview with German Vogue, Mulder, now 57, stated she was "forced to say I had made it all up" and was subjected to "horrible, inhumane things" during her career.

Mulder's initial allegations surfaced in 2001 during an appearance on the French television show "Tout Le Monde En Parle." The then 32-year-old model claimed she had been drugged and raped by multiple influential figures, including politicians and police officers, and was pressured into unfavorable contracts. The interview was reportedly never broadcast, and the recording was subsequently deleted after the host dismissed her claims as "paranoid delirium." However, the contents were leaked, bringing her accusations to public attention.

Following the televised interview, Mulder was taken to a psychiatric clinic by her sister, Saskia, where she stayed for five months. Upon her release, she retracted her statements, characterizing them as a "cry for help." She largely disappeared from public life thereafter, with minimal appearances, including a brief catwalk return for Dior in 2007.

This new revelation, 25 years after her initial claims, suggests Mulder was speaking the truth all along. "I thought that because I’m famous, people would believe me," she told German Vogue. "All I wanted was for all these bad things to stop, for men to stop thinking they could do whatever they wanted."

Photographer William Rutten, who worked with Mulder after her hospitalization and has remained in touch, believes recent exposures of misconduct in the modeling industry and the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein emboldened her to speak out again. Rutten stated that Mulder was the "first woman to address abuse in the modelling industry, and because of this was forcibly committed and silenced."

Mulder rose to international fame in the late 1980s and 1990s, gracing hundreds of magazine covers, including Vogue and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She was known for her poise and was considered a contemporary of supermodels such as Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, and Naomi Campbell. Her agent at the time was Gerald Marie, owner of Elite Model Management and former husband of Linda Evangelista, who has since faced accusations of rape and human trafficking, which he denies.

After retiring from modeling in 2000, Mulder hinted at personal struggles, stating in an interview, "I didn’t know who I was as a person. Inside I felt worse from day to day."

Her father, Ben Mulder, previously suggested that factors including depression and cocaine use contributed to her breakdown, and that her psychiatric treatment had worsened her condition. He described finding notes detailing "confused thoughts and delusions" in her home.

Despite her struggles, Mulder has maintained a relatively private life in Paris, occasionally attending social events and maintaining friendships with figures such as Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and film director Luc Besson. In April 2024, she was seen publicly at the funeral of her former partner and friend, Jean-Yves Le Fur.

Her decision to break her silence now, coupled with the recent establishment of a new media company, KM Development, has led to speculation that it may be the prelude to further public statements or even a book detailing her experiences.

IMAGE3 Karen, now 57, unexpectedly broke her silence in an interview with German Vogue – which unveiled her as its surprise cover star, clad in red satin and posing alongside a sports car – claiming she had been speaking the truth all along.

IMAGE1 Model and singer Karen Mulder made a series of devastating claims that she had been subjected to systemic abuse while working as a model – being drugged and raped by multiple powerful men, including politicians and police officers.

IMAGE4 Karen Mulde with models Carla Bruni, Nadja Auermann, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer and Helena Christensen in October 1994 in Paris, France.

IMAGE2 Karen Mulder modelling Dior at Paris Fashion Week circa 1995.