Ava Cordero

Last updated
Ava Cordero
Borncirca 1983
Other namesAva Cordero
Maximilia Cordero
Occupationmodel
Known for Cordero v. Epstein

Avarelle Maximilia "Ava" Cordero (born circa 1983) is an American former model. In 2007, she filed a lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court accusing Jeffrey Epstein of sexually abusing her when she was sixteen years old. She was outed as a transgender woman by the New York Post during the lawsuit. Her case against Epstein was dismissed in 2008.

Contents

Association with Jeffrey Epstein

Cordero met Jeffrey Epstein when she was looking for work as a model. [1] [2] She alleged in a lawsuit filed in the New York Supreme Court in 2007 that Epstein had promised to help her with her career in exchange for sexual favors when she was underage. [3] According to the lawsuit, Epstein invited Cordero to his Upper East Side home, where he coerced her to engage in "bizarre and unnatural sex acts." [3] Epstein's lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, claimed that Cordero was only after Epstein's money and, upon Cordero's outing by the press, he mocked her gender identity saying, "It wouldn’t surprise me if the next claim was from the Loch Ness monster." [1] The lawsuit was dismissed in 2008. [4]

Public outing by the tabloids

During the lawsuit against Epstein, Cordero was outed as a transgender woman by the New York Post . [5] [4] Journalists Dareh Gregorian and Lucy Carne found Cordero's private social media accounts and published information about her mental health, medical history, sensationalized the lawsuit because of her transgender identity, deadnamed her, and misgendered her in the press. [1] She was further targeted and slut-shamed by the online blog Gawker . [6]

Criminal charges

On April 19, 2014, Cordero was arrested for burglary after stealing two perfume bottles from a Sephora store on Columbus Circle in New York City. [7]

In March 2017, Cordero was arrested for breaking into a Victoria's Secret store at E. 86th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, stealing about $1,000 worth of merchandise. [8] [7] She was charged with grand larceny and burgalry, but her arraignment was pending after she was hospitalized for a psychological evaluation. [7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hansford, Amelia (July 31, 2025). "Trans woman was one of the first to publicly accuse Epstein – she was mocked for it". PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news. Archived from the original on August 31, 2025. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  2. ↑ Gorman, Jeff D. (July 7, 2009). "Transgender Model Loses Libel Case Against NY Post". www.courthousenews.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2025. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Lawsuit: Millionaire Promised Teen Career Help in Exchange for Sex". ABC News . October 17, 2007. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Aleksander, Irina (October 16, 2008). "Lawsuit Filed By Model Against Jeffrey Epstein Dismissed". The New York Observer . New York, New York . Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  5. ↑ Gregorian, Dareh (October 24, 2007). "S(he) Has A History". New York Post . New York, New York . Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  6. ↑ Nolan, Hamilton (July 8, 2009). "'Promiscuous Slut,' Legally Defined". Gawker . New York, New York . Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Liphsiz, Cnaan (March 3, 2017). "Model who lost molestation suit against Jeffrey Epstein charged with stealing underwear". St. Louis Jewish Light . St. Louis, Missouri . Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Exclusive: NYC Victora's Secret Burgalry Suspect Accused Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein In 2007 Of Molesting Her As A Teen". New York Daily News . New York, New York . Retrieved February 6, 2026.
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