In 2017, Chloe Ayling, a 19-year-old British model, was kidnapped in Italy by a man who planned to sell her on the dark web. She recently revealed in a BBC docuseries how she relied on her calmness and quick thinking to eventually secure her freedom when police efforts struggled.
Chloe was invited to Milan for a photoshoot that was rescheduled from Paris due to a terror attack. Upon arriving in Milan, she was drugged and abducted by her captor Łukasz Herba, who claimed to work for a criminal group called “The Black Death.” Herba told her she was to be auctioned off as a sex slave on the dark web, demanding a $300,000 ransom from her agent.
During her captivity, Chloe kept her composure. She noticed a shift when her captor started to develop feelings for her. While he tried to kiss her, she declined and played along by suggesting she liked him back, hoping to win his trust. This tactic helped convince him to release her, which he did near the British consulate in Milan after about a week.
Despite skepticism from some doubters, police confirmed her kidnapping, and Herba was convicted and sentenced to over 16 years in prison. Chloe’s experience highlights her strength and self-reliance during a terrifying ordeal.
