Sarah Kellen, a longtime personal assistant to Jeffrey Epstein, appeared before the House Oversight Committee on May 21st, 2026, and told lawmakers she was sexually and psychologically abused by Epstein for over a decade. In her prepared opening statement, Kellen said, “They SA’d me for over a decade,” adding that Epstein “controlled me, manipulated me, dominated me, and gaslit me until I could no longer tell which thoughts were mine and which were his. ” The closed-door session was part of the panel’s ongoing inquiry into the federal government’s handling of investigations into Epstein. Kellen, who was previously a subject of criminal investigations but was never charged, went further than her own testimony, though.
She named three new alleged abusers, individuals who, according to the committee, were completely unknown to investigators before that moment. The revelation marked a significant shift in how the case is being framed, with Committee Chairman James Comer responding,”The new names, that’s what we’ve been waiting for. I’m more optimistic today than I have been in a long time. ” Comer went on record saying he now believes Kellen was a victim, not a co-conspirator, a fundamental change in the narrative surrounding her role in Epstein’s operation.
The timing of the testimony was notable. One day later, on May 22nd, reports surfaced that Prince Andrew’s investigation could now examine additional misconduct allegations that go beyond Virginia Giuffre’s original claims. Giuffre sued Andrew, and he settled that lawsuit in 2022 for an undisclosed amount. Buckingham House agreed to release documents relating to the appointment of the former Prince Andrew as a UK trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
He was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid claims he shared confidential government information with Epstein. New files revealed that Prince Andrew was never actually vetted for that trade envoy role, which reportedly came directly from the late Queen Elizabeth as her personal wish. The lack of checks, given his publicly documented ties to Epstein, has raised serious questions among lawmakers. The developments cap off what many observers describe as the most significant week in the Epstein case since January 30th, 2026, when the Department of Justice released what it called the final batch of Epstein files.
That release included over Ansch 3 million pages, 2,000 videos, and [/INST]
CONTENT:
Sarah Kellen, a longtime personal assistant to Jeffrey Epstein, appeared before the House Oversight Committee on May 21st, 2026, and told lawmakers she was sexually and psychologically abused by Epstein for over a decade. In her prepared opening statement, Kellen said, “They SA’d me for over a decade,” adding that Epstein “controlled me, manipulated me, dominated me, and gaslit me until I could no longer tell which thoughts were mine and which were his. ” The closed-door session was part of the panel’s ongoing inquiry into the federal government’s handling of investigations into Epstein. Kellen, who was previously a subject of criminal investigations but was never charged, went further than her own testimony, though.
She named three new alleged abusers, individuals who, according to the committee, were completely unknown to investigators before that moment. The revelation marked a significant shift in how the case is being framed, with Committee Chairman James Comer responding,”The new names, that’s what we’ve been waiting for. I’m more optimistic today than I have been in a long time. ” Comer went on record saying he now believes Kellen was a victim, not a co-conspirator, a fundamental change in the narrative surrounding her role in Epstein’s operation.
. The timing of the testimony was notable. One day later, on May 22nd, reports surfaced that Prince Andrew’s investigation could now examine additional misconduct allegations that go beyond Virginia Giuffre’s original claims. Giuffre sued Andrew, and he settled that lawsuit in 2022 for an undisclosed amount.
Buckingham House agreed to release documents relating to the appointment of the former Prince Andrew as a UK trade envoy between 2001 and 2011. He was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid claims he shared confidential government information with Epstein. New files revealed that Prince Andrew was never actually vetted for that trade envoy role, which reportedly came directly from the late Queen Elizabeth as her personal wish. The lack of checks, given his publicly documented ties to Epstein, has raised serious questions among lawmakers.
. The developments cap off what many observers describe as the most significant week in the Epstein case since January 30th, 2026, when the Department of Justice released what it called the final batch of Epstein files. That release included over 3 million pages, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images, though the department claimed it had now released all files required by Congress under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by President Trump in November 2025. The authors of that law, Democratsand one Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, say the administration has not complied andhas only released half of the estimated pages, including circa 200,000 that were redacted or withheld.
On Saturdaysubsequent after the release, they submitted a formal inquiry to review all of the files. The DOJ’s own records indicate there are circa 6 million pages relevant to the case, leaving approximately 2. 5 million pages still unreleased, with no explanation or timeline for their publication. The files that did come out included a new organizational chart of Epstein’s inner circle, with several names completely blacked out, still redacted.
The documents mention President Trump hundreds of times, along with former President Bill Clinton, Elon Musk, and others. The attorney for Epstein’s accusers has pushed back against the redactions, arguing the government should have released more records and done more to protect victims. In addition, the FBI has claimed it found zero videos from any of Epstein’s properties, but multiple victims have described seeing a dedicated camera monitoring office inside his homes. That contradiction has not been publicly addressed by federal authorities.
Lawmakers are also continuing to demand the release of the remaining 2. 5 million pages, with Representative Ro Khanna leading a bipartisan push in Congress, arguing that the DOJ has not met its legal obligations. The DOJ’s own memo from July 2025 claimed no client list exists andthat no evidence of blackmail was ever found, claims that survivors, lawmakers, and independent investigators all dispute. Further releases have kept other figures inthe spotlight.
Photos recovered from Epstein’s Manhattan mansion show him posed with Donald Trump, Pope John Paul II, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, displayed on his desks. Emails from 2011, 2015, and 2019 surfaced showing Epstein in contact with author Michael Wolff, where Epstein made specific allegations about Trump’s knowledge of what was happening. The White House dismissed those emails immediately as politically motivated, and no criminal evidence connected to them has emerged. In one email from 2011, Epstein told Ghislaine Maxwell that Trump had spent hours at the house with one of his victims, calling Trump”the dog that hasn’t barked,” commenting on how Trump had not been brought up in the investigation.
Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement or knowledge of the Epstein sex trafficking ring, calling it a Democratic hoax. Entertainment figures have also appeared in the documents, including David Blaine and David Copperfield, showing unsavory relationships with Epsteinandjust how deeply he worked his way into celebrity and entertainment circles. A November 2025 release of 20,000 pages reignited conversations about Trump’s past connection to Epstein, including another 2011 email surfaced where Epstein claimed an alleged victim spent hours at his home with Trump, though Epstein himself noted at the time that Trump had never once been mentioned publicly in connection to the case. As the Epstein files continue to generate headlines, another high-profile legal matter wrapped up this week.
On May 7th, 2026, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni officially settled their legal battle, ending nearly two years of public lawsuits, leaked texts, and PR wars tied to the movie “It Ends With Us. ” Settlement terms are confidential, so neither side has disclosed who paid what. The settlement came just weeks before a contentious, high-profile trial was scheduled to start. Earlier court documents unsealed in January disclosed emails from Sony executives saying Lively is “done for” and”probably will never work again in Hollywood,” highlighting the reputational damage both sides suffered throughout the dispute.
The legal fight is over, but what their careers look like going forward remains an open question. For the Epstein case, the upcoming weeks may bring more revelations. Kellen’s new names have not been publicly identified, and the remaining unreleased pages still sit with the DOJ. Whether the agency will comply with congressional demands remains to be seen, but committee members have signaled they intend to keep pressing.
As Comer put it after Kellen’s testimony, the new names are what investigators have been waiting for, and the investigation appears far from closed. .
