Topline
The woman who first launched sexual assault allegations against the high profile realtors the Alexander brothers was found dead last year, and her death is under investigation, according to The New York Times—which reported the death just weeks before the brothers face trial.
Key Facts
The Australian woman, Kate Whiteman, brought sexual assault allegations against Oren and Alon Alexander in a lawsuit in March2024 and was found dead late last year, the Times reported, citing the coroner of the Australian state of New South Wales.
A spokesman for the coroner said a cause of death has not been determined and that an investigation is ongoing, according to the Times, which noted investigations are only triggered when authorities have doubts about whether a death was actually the result of “natural causes.”
Whiteman accused Oren and Alon of sexual assault that allegedly took place in New York in 2012 after the three met at a nightclub.
After Whiteman filed suit, more lawsuits were filed against Oren and Alon, with one including allegations against their brother, Tal.
The pair were later criminally charged with sex trafficking and are due to face trial this month.
The brothers have denied all allegations against them and sued The Real Deal in a $500 million defamation lawsuit last year after the real estate news outlet reported on lawsuits against the twins, including exhibits of suggestive messages Whiteman sent to Oren and Alon after her alleged assault.
The Coroners Court of New South Wales confirmed the Times’ reporting to Forbes in an email, noting autopsy results have not been publicly released and that hearing dates on Whiteman’s death have not been scheduled and could be months away.
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Crucial Quote
“We were unaware that Kate Whiteman passed away last month until we learned about it from the media today,” Juda Engelmayer, HeraldPR CEO, told Forbes in an email on behalf of criminal defense firm Agnifilo Intrater, which is representing the Alexander brothers. “Her attorney and the federal prosecutors were in court with us earlier this week and made no mention of it, perhaps because Ms. Whiteman was never part of the federal prosecution. The decision to release this information publicly on the eve of trial invites obvious questions.”
Who Are The Alexander Brothers?
Alon and Oren are 37-year-old twin brothers. Tal, 38, is the oldest brother. The siblings primarily reside in New York and Miami. Tal and Oren developed a reputation as some of New York’s most renowned luxury real estate agents in the 2010s through their work at Douglas Elliman. The two represented billionaire Leon Black in the listing of his $18.5 million Miami condo in 2016. They also played a role in selling a $15.5 million condo in Miami Beach to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in 2018. By 2022, they founded their own luxury real estate firm. Prior to his arrest last year, Alon worked alongside his mother at the family’s private security firm, Kent Security, which was co-founded by the siblings’ parents.
Key Background
Alon and Oren were accused of rape in March and June 2024 before being arrested in Miami and charged in New York with sex trafficking. Whiteman’s lawsuit preceded the wave of other lawsuits and the indictment. The siblings have specifically been accused of bringing dozens of women to isolated locations and raping them as part of a sex trafficking scheme allegedly carried out between 2010 and 2021. They are also accused of using various drugs to impair the women they targeted. Alon and Oren were charged again this week in a superseding indictment, with both pleading not guilty to sexual abuse by physical incapacitation, according to NBC News. Jury selection is slated for Jan 20. with the trial scheduled for Jan. 26. The two brothers are being held without bail at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.
Further Reading
Alexander Brothers—Real Estate Agents For The Ultra-Rich—Arrested On Sex Trafficking Charge (Forbes)