Elisabeth Ovesen is the woman behind the pen name that shook a generation. Long before the #MeToo movement or today’s headlines, she revealed the exploitation, silence, and survival that defined an era. As the creator of the Karrine Steffans persona and author of the New York Times bestselling Vixen series, Elisabeth told the truth before the world was ready to hear it. After decades of public shaming, she now reclaims her name, her work, and her legacy—not as a cautionary tale, but as the architect of a cultural reckoning that changed everything.
Before they called it ‘Me Too’, she called it by name.
Every saint has a past.
Twenty years before the #MeToo movement, Confessions of a Video Vixen shattered illusions and exposed the realities behind the music industry’s glossy façade. Written by Elisabeth Ovesen under the pen name Karrine Steffans, the memoir took readers beyond the limelight to reveal the cost of survival in a culture that glamorized exploitation.
Once the most sought-after video model, Ovesen’s story transcended scandal to become a cultural warning and, ultimately, a testament to resilience.
Today, as the music industry reckons with the truths she first revealed, Elisabeth reflects on what it means to have lived it, told it, and endured the fallout. Two decades later, her story stands not as controversy, but as prophecy.
Answers to your FAQs.
Join Elisabeth Ovesen while she prepares lunch at her Bel Air pied-à-terre and answers some of your most frequently asked questions.
“Never a dull word from this girl.”
— Bill Maher, Host of Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
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How to Hate Your Mother
HUMAN PARTS
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5 Friends to Dump This Summer
MEDIUM
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Walk Away From Unhappiness
ZORA
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End It Like a Man
LEVEL
“The most important lesson I’ve learned along my journey is that not everyone will like you, not everyone will respect you, and not everyone will understand you, but no one can deny the work. So, just do the work.”
— Elisabeth Ovesen pictured with Oprah Winfrey
Watch Elisabeth teach.
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Dr. Walter Kimbrough, Ph.D.
PRESIDENT, DILLARD UNIVERSITY
“[Elisabeth] challenges sexual hypocrisy and exposes the many ways society gives men a free pass for sexual exploration while repudiating women for sexual agency.”
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Dr. Thomas Landefeld, Ph.D.
PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
"[Elisabeth’s] life experiences and how she has dealt with them not only inspire the students but also motivate them to make a difference."
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Dr. Karen Stanford, Ph.D.
ASSOCIATE DEAN, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
“With insight and courage, [Elisabeth] probes and defies the culture of shame surrounding women who dare to speak out against gendered violence, exploitation, and sexual abuse.”
