Specific allegations of underage models at Trump Model Management
Executive summary
Reporting from multiple outlets documents that Trump Model Management recruited very young and often foreign models, in some cases as young as 14, and that former models have alleged illegal labor and immigration practices, cramped housing, and wage theft at the agency [1] [2] [3]; however, the sources do not produce a judicial finding that Donald Trump personally sexually abused underage models, and many of the more severe sexual-abuse allegations in the broader modeling world involve other agencies and figures such as Elite and John Casablancas rather than Trump Model Management itself [4] [5].
1. Documented recruitment of minors and young foreign models at Trump Model Management
Investigations and first‑person accounts repeatedly say Trump Model Management recruited very young talent and brought foreign teenagers to the United States to compete for work, with some reporting that the agency hired models "as young as 14" and that underage girls lived in agency‑arranged group housing [1] [2] [3].
2. Allegations about housing, fees and visa misuse that placed minors at risk
Former models testified publicly that non‑US models frequently worked on tourist visas, were housed in crowded, dorm‑style apartments often charged steep fees, and were subject to financial practices they described as exploitative—claims that fed calls for federal review of labor and immigration compliance [2] [3] [1].
3. Lawsuits and federal inquiries: wage, fraud and regulatory focus
Civil litigation and elected‑official probes focused on labor and immigration violations rather than specific criminal sexual‑abuse charges tied to Trump himself; for example, plaintiffs have alleged wage theft and excessive housing charges, and Senator Barbara Boxer urged federal agencies to investigate employment practices at the agency [2] [1].
4. The distinction between Trump Model Management and the Elite/“Look of the Year” scandals
Much of the public alarm about underage models in fashion centers on Elite Model Management and its Look of the Year contest, where reporting documented underage drinking, inappropriate touching, and sexual relationships involving agency figures like John Casablancas; Trump hosted and judged some of these contests and appears on video judging teen contestants, but major investigations of Elite named Casablancas and others, not Trump, as central alleged abusers [4] [6] [5].
5. Video footage and remarks that inflamed public concern but do not equal criminal proof
Circulated video of Trump judging teen modeling contests and making lewd remarks about future dating of a young contestant rekindled scrutiny of his proximity to underage models; these clips documented participation and comments but, according to the sources, do not themselves substantiate criminal misconduct by Trump [6] [7].
6. Advocacy reaction and organizational demands for accountability
Advocacy groups such as NOW and the Feminist Majority publicly called for Trump Model Management to be shut down pending investigation, and public pressure from labor advocates and lawmakers amplified scrutiny of the agency’s treatment of young models [8] [1].
7. What the reporting does and does not prove
The sourced reporting establishes credible, repeated allegations that Trump Model Management recruited minors and mismanaged labor/visa practices that exposed young, often foreign models to exploitation [2] [1] [3]; what the sources do not show is a criminal conviction or direct judicial finding that Donald Trump personally sexually abused underage models or that Trump Model Management was legally adjudicated for sexual abuse—many of the most serious sexual‑abuse allegations in the modeling world within these reports center on Elite and other figures [4] [5] [9].
8. Bottom line and investigative gaps remaining
Available reporting paints a pattern of recruitment of minors, cramped living conditions, alleged wage and visa violations, and clear industry wrongdoing around underage modeling—matters that prompted lawsuits, congressional inquiries and advocacy pressure—but specific criminal allegations tying Trump personally to sexual abuse of underage models are not substantiated by the sources provided, and court outcomes and agency‑level adjudications on the most serious claims are either absent or limited in these accounts [2] [1] [4].