BBC Series Rekindles Public Interest in Model’s 2017 Ordeal
A new BBC documentary is revisiting the high-profile 2017 kidnapping of British model Chloe Ayling. The series, Chloe Ayling: My Unbelievable Kidnapping, began airing on August 4, 2025, and dives into the details of a case that shocked Europe and stirred fierce debate about victim credibility and internet-fueled crime.
A Photoshoot That Wasn’t
In April 2017, then-20-year-old Ayling traveled from London to Paris for what she believed was a professional modeling assignment arranged by her former agent, Phil Green. Instead, upon arrival at a rented studio, she was ambushed by two masked men, drugged with ketamine, and forcibly stuffed into a suitcase.
The abduction was orchestrated by Lukasz Herba, who had posed as a photographer, and his brother Michal Herba. The brothers later claimed they had been hired by a shadowy criminal group calling itself “Black Death,” known for trafficking women through the dark web.
Threatened With Human Trafficking
Ayling was told that unless a €300,000 ransom was paid, she would be auctioned as a sex slave online. The captors kept her in a remote farmhouse in Italy, during which she says she feared for her life and tried to remain calm and cooperative to avoid escalating the situation.
“I accepted that I was going to die,” Ayling later said of her six-day ordeal. She eventually began persuading Lukasz Herba that she would start a relationship with him if he let her go. The captor began treating her more gently, offering her pizza, moving her from the floor to his bed, and taking her shopping to replace missing belongings.
Escape and Return to Safety
On the sixth day of her captivity, Lukasz drove Ayling to the British consulate in Milan and left her there. Her escape did not mark the end of her trauma. Upon returning to the UK, Ayling faced intense public scrutiny after CCTV footage showed her holding Lukasz’s hand during their shopping trip.
Some accused her of staging the kidnapping for attention, fueled by the footage and her relatively composed demeanor post-rescue. Authorities, however, maintained that Ayling had played along out of fear and that her actions were consistent with survival tactics.
Sentencing and Legal Outcome
Lukasz Herba and Michal Herba were both convicted of kidnapping and attempted human trafficking. They were sentenced to 16 years and 9 months in prison. During the trial, the court heard how Ayling had been deceived and forcibly taken against her will, and the kidnapping was not staged as claimed by online conspiracy theorists.
Ongoing Impact and Media Coverage
The BBC documentary comes at a time when discussions around victim-blaming, online crime, and the treatment of women in media remain prominent. The series re-examines the case through new interviews, expert commentary, and Ayling’s own reflections, offering viewers a fuller picture of what unfolded in 2017—and what followed.
Even years after her release, Ayling has said she continues to struggle with the trauma and the backlash that followed her rescue. “Even though I was out, I didn’t feel safe,” she said.
