What Happened to '90s Supermodel Karen Mulder? Inside the Shocking Tragedy

The modeling industry has seen endless success stories, with some of the world’s most beautiful faces becoming icons — but there have also been a fair number of tragedies in the world of high fashion glitz and glam, and Karen Mulder is one of them. During her time in the fashion industry, she modeled for some of the biggest brands in the world, such as Versace, Chanel, Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren, and Calvin Klein.

She also graced the pages of Vogue and modeled for Victoria’s Secret.

The former supermodel, who enjoyed a heyday in the late 1980s and early 1990s, experienced her fair share of tragic events. Let’s find out what happened.

In October 2001, Karen appeared on the French television show Everyone Is Talking About It and made shocking claims during the interview that she was raped repeatedly by notable names throughout her time in the modeling world. She named Albert II, Prince of Monaco, members of her former Elite Model Management team, politicians, and law enforcement officers, according to The Evening Standard.

Due to the severity of her allegations, the interview was never aired, and the footage was destroyed. In January 2002, her parents stated her appearance on the show was drug-related, per British Vogue.

"I'm certain cocaine caused Karen's desperate situation," her father Ben Mulder said at the time. "When we visited her in Paris we could see for ourselves. Everywhere there were notebooks full of her tangled thoughts and mad ideas. She was accusing everyone and everything. It was awful to read them. She needs to remain in hospital because she is a danger to herself."

By the end of the year, in December 2002, Karen overdosed on sleeping pills in an apparent suicide attempt and was in a coma for a short time.

Shortly after, she was taken to a psychiatric hospital by her sister for treatment for depression, delirium, and anxiety, where she stayed for five months, per Hello!. "It's very sad," said Elite Models president Gerald Marie following the news. "She had everything. I don't know how she lost it all."

"Karen is doing OK," her sister Saskia said after Karen was admitted. "She is not in a coma. We've been in contact, and I have spoken to her a lot on the phone. We have all been supporting her 100 percent. It is not as bad as everyone thinks. Do you really think I would be at an awards ceremony if it was? Like any sister, I would be at her side. Karen will get through this. She is looking forward to spending Christmas with the family."

In June 2009, Karen was arrested in Paris after allegedly making threatening phone calls to a local plastic surgeon, according to British Vogue.

Following her arrest, a detective in the case said that the caller, alleged to have been Karen, called and asked to have a previous operation reversed and was "screaming and shouting about the operation and became extremely threatening. There were repeated calls to the female surgeon, who was extremely scared," the detective said at the time. "The suspect is being interviewed."