Psychiatrist Henry Jarecki blasts explosive claims in Jeffrey Epstein accuser's new sex trafficking lawsuit

The prominent New York City psychiatrist named in an explosive sex trafficking lawsuit brought by an anonymous Jeffrey Epstein accuser this week is pushing back – denying the allegations as made up and a money grab.

"False accusations have been made against me by lawyers seeking money on behalf of a woman with whom I had a consensual, non-secretive, and mutually respectful relationship over a decade ago, when she was a successful professional in her late 20s," Jarecki, 91, said in a statement released through his attorney. "I have never engaged in any abusive conduct with her or anyone else."

A former model, identified only as Jane Doe 11 in court filings, filed a lawsuit this week accusing Jarecki of raping her after Epstein sent her to his office for complaints of depression.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN ACCUSER CLAIMS PSYCHIATRIST MADE HER ‘SEX SLAVE’ IN NEW LAWSUIT

"I will contest these demonstrably untrue claims in the appropriate forum," Jarecki said.

The New York-based shrink is a longtime Yale University professor, an author, the co-founder of Moviefone and a billionaire metals trader, in addition to his medical background.

Doe came to the U.S. in 2010 to work in the modeling industry and connected with Epstein shortly after he arrived. She had to continue working in order to maintain her visa status and remain in the country. When she asked for some mental health help, according to the lawsuit, the disgraced financier sent her to Jarecki, whom he described as "the best doctor in New York City."

JEFFREY EPSTEIN VICTIMS SUE FBI FOR ALLEGED FAILURE TO INVESTIGATE ‘SEX TRAFFICKING RING FOR THE ELITE’

The meeting led to years of modern-day sexual slavery, according to the lawsuit, which Jarecki denies.

"During this first consultation, Jarecki told Jane Doe 11 that he had something that could make her happy right away," the lawsuit reads. "However, instead of prescribing her medication, Jarecki presented her with an expensive wristwatch."

Then he brought her on a tour of his home in Manhattan's Gramercy Park neighborhood and allegedly "forcibly raped her against her will" in the bedroom, according to the filing.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS: FINAL FILES REVEAL TRAFFICKING ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PROMINENT FIGURES

Other allegations include a claim that Jarecki put Doe up in a $5,700 apartment in exchange for sex, "a deal Jane Doe 11 never agreed to." She accused him of raping her "dozens" of times in the Big Apple and on private Caribbean islands and claimed he exerted control over her life between 2011 and 2014.

"Jarecki learned everything he could about Jane Doe 11, including her financial and immigration situation, and he used that knowledge to manipulate and completely control her, coercing her into being his modern-day sex slave," the lawsuit alleges.

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Epstein, a former teacher who made hundreds of millions of dollars in the finance industry and palled around with influential academics, business leaders and even presidents, died in 2019 in a federal jail cell while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.

Investigators ruled his death a suicide but found serious errors in the facility where he was found dead.

In January, a federal court in New York unsealed hundreds of documents as part of a lawsuit brought by prominent Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, shedding new light on his social circle.

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Dems in hot seat for alleged ethics violations over Alito recusal demands

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., suggested Democratic lawmakers could have incurred ethical violations when they made recusal demands of the Supreme Court after news broke of flags flown at Justice Samuel Alito's homes.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., "potentially engaged in unethical professional conduct before the Court," the Republican leader claimed in floor remarks on Wednesday. Both are members of the Senate judiciary committee. 

"Three of our colleagues have taken it upon themselves to write to the Chief Justice and demand Justice Alito’s recusal in cases," he explained. "One went so far as to tell the chief that he should strip Justices Alito and [Clarence] Thomas of the ability to write majority opinions unless they recuse from the cases liberals don’t want them hearing."

"This goes beyond the standard disgraceful bullying my Democratic colleagues have perfected," he said.

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"These senators are telling the chief justice, privately, to change the course of pending litigation," McConnell said, adding that this is "ex-parte communication." He noted that such correspondence goes against the outlined American Bar Association code of conduct. 

This, McConnell said, presents an ethical issue because both Blumenthal and Whitehouse appear to be members of the Supreme Court Bar. Admission to the bar is necessary for any lawyer to argue before the court. Both senators have previously argued cases in front of the Supreme Court prior to their elections to the Senate. 

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"They are officers of the court and bound by a different set of rules than a mere senator," he explained. 

According to McConnell, the ex-parte communications the senators have engaged in via letters could rise to the level of conduct that is considered "unbecoming" and perhaps subject to discipline. 

"I might suggest to our colleagues that unethical ex-parte communications seeking to change the course of pending litigation is such conduct. And that the Court should take any remedial action it feels to be appropriate," the minority leader said. 

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He further pointed to the larger issue of politicization among attorneys but reiterated that it is solely the jurisdiction of the court to ensure the ethics of those within it. 

"We don’t need to appeal to heaven to fix this problem. Just to the Supreme Court’s power to police the ethical practice of law among the members of its Bar," he said, referencing the phrase featured on a historical flag at Alito's beach home, which read, "appeal to heaven." 

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Following several reports on an upside-down flag briefly flown at Alito's Virginia home and the other at his vacation home, Democratic lawmakers promptly called on the conservative justice to recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 election. This comes as the court has yet to rule on former President Trump's claim of immunity in his federal election interference case, and Alito's vote could potentially decide the case one way or another. 

Among those who made such calls were Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., along with Blumenthal and Whitehouse. Durbin and Whitehouse asked for a meeting with Roberts, asking that he ensure Alito's recusal, while Blumenthal asked Roberts in his own letter "not to assign opinions or circuit justiceships to Justices Sam Alito or Clarence Thomas if they decline to recuse themselves from cases relating to January 6th and the ‘Stop the Steal’ movement."

Neither Blumenthal's nor Whitehouse's office immediately provided comment to Fox News Digital. 

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Chicago suburb shuts down annual carnival indefinitely after teens cause ‘flash mob’ chaos

A suburb outside Chicago has canceled its annual carnival after a large group of teens disrupted the event, authorities said.

The four-day carnival in Posen had been held at Commissioners Park on West 148th Street and was a draw for thousands of visitors. This year, however, an unruly crowd caused enough concern over public safety that police shut down the event and town leaders canceled the festivities indefinitely.

The Posen Police Department announced Sunday evening that a large fight at the carnival forced authorities into making "the difficult decision to shut it down for the safety of all attendees."

Police said several arrests were made in connection with the altercation.

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The fight followed an incident that happened at the carnival on Thursday night.

In that incident, police said about 20 juveniles were involved in a disturbance after leaving the carnival grounds. A loaded handgun was recovered from the backpack of one juvenile, who was charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon and transported to the juvenile detention center.

On Tuesday night, Posen's Park District voted unanimously to cancel the carnival indefinitely, FOX32 Chicago reported.

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Posen Mayor Frank Podbielniak told the station that he estimated the disruptive crowd that caused the chaos had swelled to about 400 young people.

"It was just a flash mob. They came to create chaos. That's what happened," Podbielniak told FOX32 Chicago.

Two teens and two adults were arrested in connection with the disturbances, the station reported. Officials believe that teens from outside the town learned about the event on social media before descending on the small community.

The cancellation of the carnival follows a similar incident that happened last summer in Tinley Park, another Chicago suburb.

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Tinley Park officials had canceled its Armed Forces Carnival after a flash mob of 400 teens descended onto the suburb and began fighting with each other.

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Kamala Harris tells Jimmy Kimmel he's right to be worried about what Trump could do to late night host

Vice President Kamala Harris told comedian Jimmy Kimmel that he should be concerned about former President Trump retaliating against him in a second term.

"Trump has made it pretty plain that he’s planning to go after his enemies or whatever you want to call them should he be re-elected," Kimmel said on his late night show. 

"Realistically," Kimmel asked Harris, "what can he actually do to, oh, like, for example, me?"

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD SAYS IT'S FAIR TO ASK WHETHER BIDEN-HARRIS IS A 'WINNABLE TICKET'

"In all seriousness, Jimmy, you’re right to bring this up," Harris said. "[Trump] has been very clear. He intends to weaponize the Department of Justice against his political enemies." 

"He admires dictators and says he’ll be a dictator on day one," she continued.

Harris also criticized Trump on abortion, arguing that her daughter has "fewer rights in terms of her reproductive freedoms than my mother-in-law." 

Kimmel argued against Trump's claims that the justice system has been weaponized against him after he was convicted in New York on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

"If President Biden has weaponized the justice system, why doesn't he get his son out of the trial?" Kimmel asked. "Hunter is currently on trial." 

BIDEN CAMPAIGN SEEKS TO HALT SLIDE WITH BLACK VOTERS WITH NEW INITIATIVE

"Couldn't he just snap his weaponized fingers and get him right out of that?" he added.

"The former president is a hypocrite," Harris responded. 

First son Hunter Biden's criminal trial kicked off on Tuesday.

"No one is above the law," argued prosecutors, who told the jury that during the trial they will present evidence showing the younger Biden was a crack cocaine addict who lied on a federal gun form in order to purchase the firearm. 

Prosecutors in the case allege that in October 2018, Hunter Biden visited StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply to purchase a Colt revolver and that he lied about his drug addiction when he filled out a federal form to purchase the gun. The form was ticked "No" in response to a question asking whether the buyer was an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to controlled substances.

The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report. 

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Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich marks 14 months wrongfully detained by Russia

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich marked 14 months wrongfully detained in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo Prison on Wednesday.

The beloved 32-year-old American reporter has been detained in Russia since March 29, 2023, on espionage allegations that the U.S. government and his employer have called absurd. President Biden has called repeatedly for Gershkovich's release to no avail, and the journalist recently lost another appeal to end his pretrial detention and will remain behind bars until at least June. 

"It’s hard to fathom that today marks 14 months since Evan was seized by authorities in Russia simply for doing his job as a journalist. So many months of not seeing his family and friends and not honing his tremendous talent as a journalist. He cannot be released soon enough," Wall Street Journal chief digital editor Grainne McCarthy sent in a memo to staffers. 

Gershkovich, the American-born son of Soviet immigrants, was detained during a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg, the fourth-largest city in Russia. He was accredited by Russia's Foreign Ministry to report in the country at the time.

EVAN GERSHKOVICH MARKS ONE YEAR IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA AS FRIENDS CAN ONLY WAIT FOR 'NIGHTMARE' TO END

Gershkovich, who has been designated as wrongfully detained by the State Department, was named the 2024 Daniel Pearl Awardee for Courage and Integrity in Journalism by the L.A. Press Club last week. 

"We are extremely pleased to see the Daniel Pearl Award being awarded to Evan Gershkovich who, like Danny before him, has come to symbolize Press Freedom and the importance of truthful reporting," said Judea Pearl, the father of American journalist Daniel Pearl, who was killed by terrorists in 2002.

"We hope this award brings hope and encouragement to Evan as he is awaiting justice," Pearl added. "And sends a strong message to the Russian Government that, despite attempts to disrupt world orders, the free world still holds the safety of journalists as a sanctuary of civilized society."

Wall Street Journal editor Paul Beckett, who will receive the award on Evan’s behalf at the SoCal Journalism Awards Gala next month, has dedicated himself to raising awareness for Gershkovich’s horrific situation. 

FOX NATION'S ‘PRISONER OF PUTIN’ EXAMINES EVAN GERSHKOVICH’S LIFE, RESILIENCE WHILE DETAINED IN RUSSIA

"There is nowhere Daniel Pearl’s legacy looms larger than The Wall Street Journal, and we’re incredibly grateful to the Los Angeles Press Club for recognizing Evan and for highlighting what’s at stake at a time when many are emboldened to silence journalists simply for doing their job," Beckett said. 

WALL STREET JOURNAL HOPES ONE-YEAR MARK IS ‘LAST MILESTONE’ THAT EVAN GERSHKOVICH SPENDS IN RUSSIAN PRISON

The Wall Street Journal has arranged numerous events to keep its cherished reporter in public consciousness, with barbecues, runs, social media storms, Read-A-Thons, and various other efforts. The Wall Street Journal’s corporate office even added an "Evan burger" to its cafeteria menu featuring the reporter’s favorite toppings. 

Experts and people familiar with the case have told Fox News Digital that the best hope of freedom for Gershkovich — and fellow American held in Russia Paul Whelan — is likely a high-profile prisoner swap.

Anyone interested in learning more about Gershkovich can visit WSJ.com/evan and FreeGershkovich.com.

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Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman and David Rutz contributed to this report. 

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Darius Rucker breaks silence, explains 'crazy thing' about drug arrest

Darius Rucker broke his silence on his February arrest, saying, "It is what it is."

Tennessee authorities took Rucker, 58, into custody Feb. 1 after the "Wagon Wheel" singer turned himself in. He was charged with two counts of simple possession/casual exchange of a controlled substance and one count of a violation of the state's vehicle registration law, Fox News Digital previously confirmed.

"I went down, and we handled it," Rucker said during an appearance Tuesday on the "Today" show. "My lawyers are taking care of it. It is what it is."

Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Rucker.

DARIUS RUCKER CAUGHT WITH MARIJUANA AND PSYCHEDLIC PILLS WHEN HE WAS PULLED OVER IN TENNESSEE: POLICE

"It was funny because I was going to a friend’s house, they were moving and asked me to take some stuff," Rucker told the outlet. "And I did and got pulled, got stopped. And the crazy thing was, they let me go."

"And it was a year later that I get a phone call that said there was a warrant for my arrest," he continued. "So I went down. Fifty-seven years, I’ve never seen the inside of a jail cell."

Rucker was originally pulled over by the Franklin Police Department in February 2023 for expired tags, Officer Ryan Schuman told Fox News Digital at the time of the country music star's arrest.

During the stop, police noticed a strong odor of marijuana and found a jar of un-stamped pills. Rucker handed over a small marijuana blunt before officers searched him. Rucker said he didn't know what the pills were as they were given to him by his girlfriend, according to authorities.

Rucker was released during the 2023 traffic stop, pending identification of the unmarked pills. The pills were later identified as psilocin, otherwise known as magic mushrooms, by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. A warrant was issued for his arrest in December and Rucker turned himself in nearly a year after the initial traffic stop.

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Rucker claimed the drugs found on him during the traffic stop belonged to his friends.

"They were moving and couldn’t fly with it," he explained to the "Today" show. "They said, ‘Can you take this?’ and I said, 'Yeah.'"

Rucker's lawyer, Mark Puryear, said the musician was "fully cooperating" with authorities, in a statement shared with Fox News Digital at the time of the arrest.

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Rucker's career success began when he was a member of Hootie & the Blowfish. The group reunited for a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of the album "Cracked Rear View," which began in May. According to Rucker, "Cracked Rear View" is one of the "top 10-selling studio records of all time."

After releasing four more albums with Hootie & the Blowfish, Rucker embarked on his solo journey as the group took a hiatus in 2008.

Since his transition into the country music world, Rucker has released many hit songs, including "Wagon Wheel," "Come Back Song," "Alright" and "Don't Think I Don't Think About It."

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Netanyahu responds to strike that killed Hamas terror leaders, civilians: 'Investigating the incident'

JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nation’s military on Monday flatly refuted claims that the country’s air force aimed to harm civilians in its strike that eliminated two senior Hamas terrorist leaders on Sunday, the same day Hamas launched its most recent barrage of missiles into densely populated areas of Israel.

There are mixed reports about the number of civilians killed in the Rafah strike. The Hamas-run health ministry claimed at least 45 people died, and other outlets have quoted up to 50 deaths.

According to Reuters in a speech to the Israeli parliament on Monday, Netanyahu said, "In Rafah, we already evacuated about one million non-combatants residents and despite our upmost effort not to harm non-combatants, something unfortunately went tragically wrong. We are investigating the incident and will reach conclusions because this is our policy."

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A statement released by a spokesman for the Biden administration's National Security Council on Monday said, "The devastating images following an IDF strike in Rafah last night that killed dozens of innocent Palestinians are heartbreaking."

The statement continued, "Israel has a right to go after Hamas, and we understand this strike killed two senior Hamas terrorists who are responsible for attacks against Israeli civilians. But as we’ve been clear, Israel must take every precaution possible to protect civilians. We are actively engaging the IDF and partners on the ground to assess what happened, and understand that the IDF is conducting an investigation."

Hamas does not differentiate between civilians and terrorists. Fox News Digital reported in March that an Ivy League statistician argued that Hamas’ death toll numbers are not trustworthy.

"Before the strike, a number of steps were taken to reduce the risk of harming uninvolved civilians during the strike, including conducting aerial surveillance, the deployment of precise munitions by the IAF, and additional intelligence information. Based on these measures, it was assessed that there would be no expected harm to uninvolved civilians," said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) statement, which added, "In addition, the strike did not occur in the Humanitarian Area in Al-Mawasi, to which the IDF has encouraged civilians to evacuate."

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The IDF's statement continued, "The incident is under the investigation of the General Staff's Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism, which is an independent body responsible for examining exceptional incidents in combat. The General Staff's Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism is investigating the circumstances of the deaths of civilians in the area of the strike. The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians during combat."

The military advocate general, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, directed the General Staff’s Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism to investigate the strike carried out in Rafah, noted the IDF statement.

Hamas said in a statement that the terrorist organization sought to hit Israel’s Mediterranean metropolis: "We fired a large salvo at Tel Aviv in response to the Zionist massacres of civilians."

The EU and U.S.-designated terrorist movement Hamas has for over a decade launched rockets at civilians in Israel, triggering a series of mini-wars with the Jewish state.

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According to the IDF, "Yesterday, IAF aircraft conducted an intelligence-based strike in the area of Rafah against significant terror targets, including senior terrorists in Hamas’ Judea and Samaria Wing who directed terror attacks in Judea and Samaria and carried out murderous attacks against Israeli civilians."

The IDF added, "The strike was carried out based on prior intelligence information regarding the presence of the senior Hamas terrorists at the site of the strike."

The two Hamas leaders killed  were Yassin Rabia, the commander of Hamas’ leadership in Judea and Samaria (the biblical name for the West Bank), and Khaled Nagar, a senior official in Hamas who oversaw the Judea and Samaria wing.

The IDF statement, with a possible view toward alleged Hamas propaganda, also said, "Claims that the strike was conducted using seven munitions weighing a ton are false. The strike was conducted using two munitions with a reduced warhead aimed specifically for a strike of these types of targets."

Tor Wennesland, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, condemned the strike in a statement issued Monday. "I condemn last night’s Israeli airstrikes which hit tents for displaced people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah and have tragically led to the reported loss of more than 35 Palestinian lives, including women and children, and dozens of injuries."

He continued, "While the IDF said it struck a Hamas installation and killed two senior Hamas militants in the strikes, I am deeply troubled by the deaths of so many women and children in an area where people have sought shelter."

IDF spokesman Peter Lerner took to X to debunk a Hamas source who appeared in media reports to inflate the number of casualties and claimed the strike unfolded in the humanitarian area. 

Lerner wrote, "Muhammad Abu Hani, quoted is a Hamas official. He appears to be the source of the widely reported claim that the IAF targeted the humanitarian zone. Is he also the source of the reports from the same ‘civil defense’ of 50 people killed in the strike? A number published by many of the world media. Fact: The strike never took place in the designated humanitarian zone."

Reuters contributed to this report.

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