A struggling single mom says she was brutally raped by billionaire Leon Black at Jeffrey Epstein’s New York City mansion, alleging the legendary investor’s assault made it difficult to urinate for “several weeks” afterward.
Cheri Pierson, who lived in New Jersey at the time, claims she was first introduced to Epstein by his former girlfriend, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, after which she was handed off to Black.
Pierson, who now resides in Virginia, came forward for the first time in a lawsuit filed Monday in Manhattan Supreme Court against Black and the late Epstein’s estate, accusing the Apollo Global Management founder of overpowering her while she gave him a massage in early 2002.
Pierson went to Epstein’s Upper East Side townhouse to meet an investor who could help finance the launch of a skincare product she was developing, her lawsuit claims. She would be paid $300 to give the married man a massage, according to the suit. But the rendezvous ended in violence, according to Pierson, who says in Monday’s filing that she had been “in desperate need of money” at the time.
Unlike many of Epstein’s victims, Pierson, whose lawyer told The Daily Beast she does not wish to share her age publicly, was an adult when the alleged rape occurred. However, she “looked much younger than her age,” the lawsuit notes.
The suit is the latest legal action related to Epstein following his death in July 2019. Last week, two victims of Epstein's sex ring filed lawsuits against...
Welcome to Reality Check, NewsGuard’s nonpartisan newsletter that tracks the false claims and conspiracy theories that shape our world — and who’s behind them. Please support us by becoming a premi...