Karen Mulder, a Dutch supermodel who rose to fame in the 1990s as one of the original Victoria's Secret Angels, experienced a dramatic fall from the spotlight after publicly alleging abuse by powerful figures in the fashion industry.

Rise to Fame

Mulder dominated the '90s fashion scene, walking for Versace and appearing on countless Vogue covers alongside icons like Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer.

Known as the "Real-Life Barbie" for her striking blonde looks, she landed high-profile campaigns and became a symbol of the supermodel era's glamour.

By the late '90s, her career seemed unstoppable, but signs of strain emerged amid the industry's intense pressures.

Shocking Allegations

In 2001, during a French TV appearance on Tout le monde en parle , Mulder broke down, claiming she had been raped by police officers, politicians, and executives tied to her agency, Elite Model Management.

The interview never aired—allegedly deleted—and hours later, her sister took her to a psychiatric clinic in Paris, reportedly funded by Elite CEO Gérald Marie, who later faced his own abuse accusations.

She repeated the claims in a Paris interview, but media framed it as a "meltdown," dismissing her as unstable rather than investigating.

Institutionalization and Struggles

Mulder spent about five months in Villa Montsouris clinic, emerging to battle chronic depression and a suicide attempt in 2002.

By 2009, reports surfaced of her threatening a plastic surgeon, after which she largely vanished from public view, choosing privacy over fame.

Her story faded until the #MeToo era in 2017, when parallels to Harvey Weinstein and industry abuse resurfaced her narrative.

Recent Interest (2026)

The February 2026 release of final Jeffrey Epstein files sparked renewed online buzz, with social media drawing loose connections to Mulder's claims about elite abusers—though no direct Epstein link exists.

X (formerly Twitter) posts claim she "blew the whistle on Epstein's network" in the '90s, leading to her institutionalization, fueling conspiracy discussions.

YouTube documentaries from 2025-2026, like "Darkest Tragedy of the True Supermodel," keep her story trending, portraying her as a silenced pioneer.

Multiple Perspectives

  • Industry View : Mulder's breakdown was chalked up to mental health issues from fame's toll, with host Thierry Ardisson calling it "paranoid delirium."
  • Supporter Angle : Fans and #MeToo advocates see her as a victim gaslit by power structures, vindicated years later.
  • Skeptics : Some dismiss it as career-ending instability, noting sparse post-2009 updates.

Key Timeline| Event
---|---
1990s| Peak fame: VS Angel, 1,000+ campaigns 5
2001| TV allegations; clinic admission 3
2002| Suicide attempt 3
2017| #MeToo revival 1
2026| Epstein files spark forum buzz 3

TL;DR : Karen Mulder's supermodel stardom crashed after 2001 abuse allegations against elites led to institutionalization and erasure; she's lived privately since, with her story exploding again via 2026 Epstein docs.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.