Jean-Luc Brunel gained prominence by leading the international modelling agency Karin Models, and founded MC2 Model Management, with financing by Jeffrey Epstein.
20 Facts About Jean-Luc Brunel
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Jean-Luc Brunel came under scrutiny for his ties to Epstein, with whom he worked from the early 2000s to 2015.
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Jean-Luc Brunel was born on 18 September 1946 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, an urban commune west of Paris.
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Jean-Luc Brunel began his career in the late 1970s, working as a modeling scout for Karin Mossberg's agency, Karin Models in Paris.
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Jean-Luc Brunel had met Ghislaine Maxwell in the 1980s, and she later introduced him to the financier Jeffrey Epstein.
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Jean-Luc Brunel received funds from Epstein of "up to a million dollars" in 2004 to help launch a new modeling agency: MC2 Model Management.
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Jean-Luc Brunel transformed Karin Models US division into MC2 Model Management, by opening offices in New York City and Miami in 2005.
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In 2019, it was reported that Jean-Luc Brunel helped create The Identity Models in New York City and 1Mother Agency in Kyiv, Ukraine.
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Jean-Luc Brunel was the subject of a seven-month investigation by CBS producer Craig Pyes and reporter Diane Sawyer for 60 Minutes.
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Jean-Luc Brunel denied the claims, but Ford ultimately severed ties with him following the broadcast.
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Michael Gross reported in Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women that Jean-Luc Brunel had admitted to using cocaine for years.
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Jean-Luc Brunel defended his use by stating that he did not have a drug problem since he refrained from using cocaine during the day.
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Jean-Luc Brunel was a regular visitor to the jail where Epstein was held in 2008, with at least 70 recorded visits.
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Jean-Luc Brunel sued Epstein in 2015, claiming that he and MC2 had "lost multiple contacts and business in the modelling business as a result of Epstein's illegal actions".
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Jean-Luc Brunel alleged that Epstein had obstructed justice by directing Brunel to avoid having his deposition taken in the criminal case against Epstein by the Palm Beach Police Department.
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In 2019, it was revealed that Jean-Luc Brunel was among those named in court documents from a civil suit by Virginia Roberts Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell.
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Jean-Luc Brunel was last seen in public at the Paris Country Club on 5 July 2019.
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On 16 December 2020, Jean-Luc Brunel was intercepted by police at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, as he was about to board a flight to Dakar, Senegal.
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On 19 February 2022, Jean-Luc Brunel was found dead in his jail cell in La Sante prison, after allegedly hanging himself.
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Jean-Luc Brunel had attempted suicide several times before his death.