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The woman who first accused Oren and Alon Alexander of rape, sparking a wave of similar allegations, has died, according to the New York Times.
Kate Whiteman, 45, was found dead in Australia late last year. The coroner in New South Wales told the Times that Whiteman’s cause of death was under investigation. Fox News Digital has reached out to the New South Wales coroner for additional details.
The news comes just before the brothers’ criminal trial is set to begin, with jury selection starting Jan. 20.
Oren Alexander and his older brother Tal Alexander are prominent luxury real estate brokers who co-founded the firm Official after rising through the ranks at Douglas Elliman. Alon Alexander worked in the family’s private security business.
Oren Alexander, center, and his twin brother, Alon, center-right, speak to their attorney, Joel Denaro, during their bond hearing after being charged with multiple state and federal crimes, including sex trafficking and rape, at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Miami. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP, Pool)
ALEXANDER BROTHERS ACCUSED OF CRUISE SHIP SEX ABUSE AHEAD OF REAL ESTATE MOGULS’ TRAFFICKING TRIAL
Prosecutors have accused the three brothers of conspiring for more than a decade to drug and sexually assault women in locations including Miami, New York and the Hamptons, allegations the brothers have repeatedly denied. Oren and Alon also face state felony charges of sexual battery in Florida.
In a 2024 civil suit, Whiteman accused Oren and Alon Alexander of raping her in 2012 after meeting them during a night out in New York.
She alleged that Oren, then a prominent Douglas Elliman real estate broker, and his brother Alon forced her into an SUV and drove her to a Hamptons estate owned by Sir Ivan Wilzig, where the assault occurred.
On the same day, another accuser, Rebecca Mandel, filed a separate suit alleging that the brothers drove her to their apartment after meeting at a Manhattan club in 2010, where they took turns holding her down and raping her.
Oren Alexander attends his bond hearing after being charged with multiple state and federal crimes, including sex trafficking and rape, at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Miami. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald via AP, Pool)
Following Whiteman and Mandel’s accusations, a host of women came forward alleging similar scenarios.
If convicted, the Alexander brothers face decades in federal prison. The brothers are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, alongside disgraced rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs and alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione.
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A display showing images of Alon, Oren, and Tal Alexander prior to a news conference in New York, US, on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. Luxury real estate brokers Oren and Tal Alexander and their brother Alon were arrested and charged with sex-trafficking by federal prosecutors in New York. (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The sordid accusations allege that the siblings used their wealth and positions to lure women to nightclubs and parties and other events before drugging them and sexually assaulting them.
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Oren and Tal Alexander co-founded the real estate firm Official, which offers luxury listings in places like New York City, the Hamptons, Miami and Los Angeles, in 2022 after rising through the ranks at Douglas Elliman, one of the largest real estate brokerages in the country, according to prosecutors.
Oren and Alon Alexander attend Jeff Gordon’s Last Lap on Nov. 22, 2015, at The Villa, Casa Casuarina in Miami Beach, Florida. (Aaron Davidson/Getty Images for J Group)
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Their past clients include Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Liam Gallagher and Lindsay Lohan, according to CBS News. Fox News Digital reached out to the Alexanders’ attorneys for comment.