IN 2017, Chloe Ayling was abducted in Milan while she was there for a modelling assignment.
The shocking case is featured in the new BBCfactual drama ‘Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story.
Who is Chloe Ayling and what happened to her?
Chloe Ayling, is a British glamour model, Instagram and Only Fans star.
She was born on July 14, 1998 in the UK.
Chloe went on CelebrityBig Brother in 2018 and released a book about her abduction the same year, called Kidnapped: The Untold Story Of My Abduction.
During her time on Celebrity Big Brother, Chloe’s relationship with footballer Jermaine Pennant attracted significant attention.
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Despite Jermaine being married, the two engaged in flirtatious interactions, including a kiss during a challenge.
Chloe later criticised Pennant for not disclosing his marital status, calling his behaviour “immature” and “disgusting.”
She was evicted from the house on August 28, 2018.
In 2023 she returned to social media, six years after her abduction.
What happened to Chloe Ayling?
In July 2017, Chloe Ayling was snatched by a sex trafficking gang and held captive for six days in a remote Italian farmhouse.
Masked men kidnapped Chloe after luring her to Milan with promises of a lucrative photoshoot.
Her abduction took a dramatic turn when the kidnappers, after holding her for several days, released her unharmed.
Chloe managed to escape by forming a psychological bond with one of the men.
She believed that by making him feel a sense of emotional connection, she might increase her chances of being released.
Chloe said: “I thought I might have to sleep with him to survive.
“My only move to get out of there alive was to get him to like me.”
She intentionally deferred his advances, thinking that if he felt hopeful about a future relationship, he might be less likely to harm her.
Her strategy ultimately led to her release at the British consulate in Milan.
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Chloe told The Sun about her abduction: “Suddenly this man has his hand on my mouth — covering my nose.
“And then another man ran in front of me with a mask on.
“I saw he had a syringe.
“When I woke up I was so drugged.
“Slowly as I regained consciousness, I realised I was in the back of a car.
“I had no idea why they were taking me.
“Everything went through my head — are they going to rape me? Are they going to kill me?”
How were Chloe’s abductors caught?
After Chloe Ayling was released by her captors, she immediately reported the incident to the authorities and provided them with detailed information about her captivity.
She told police she was then drugged and stuffed inside a suitcase before being auctioned on the dark web for £250,000.
Her statement, along with surveillance footage from the abduction scene, played a crucial role in identifying the suspects.
The Italian police worked alongside British authorities and other law enforcement agencies to capture the abductors.
Two men were arrested in connection with the kidnapping and faced charges related to their attempted at human trafficking.
Lukasz Herba was convicted on June 11, 2018, of kidnapping the model.
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He was convicted in a court in Milan and jailed for more than 16 years.
But in 2020 his sentence was reduced by almost five years after a judge ruled he ”acted out of love”.
Lukasz is expected to be released in 2025.
His brother Michal Herba was sentenced to 16 years in prison, but his sentence was later reduced to five years on appeal.
He was subsequently released on good behaviour in 2022.
Michal is currently a truck driver residing with his mother in an apartment in Szczecin, Poland.
After her abductors were jailed, Chloe hit out at people who had cast doubt on her shocking story.
She told The Guardian in 2018: “I don’t think people believed me because I wasn’t in tears.
“But I was happy, as you would be, seeing your family after a month when you thought you weren’t going to again.
“Also, because cameras are an everyday part of my life, I probably reacted differently from how most people would if they had been through the same thing.
“I think if you’re a glamour model, you’re bound to be portrayed in that way.
“It’s just the stereotype, I guess … That we just want fame and publicity.”
How to watch Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story
The BBC’s six-part drama about the chilling case will air on BBC Three, with Nadia Parks playing Chloe Ayling.
It kicks off at 9pm on Wednesday August 14 with a double bill.
All episodes will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am on the same day.