This is the man with a resemblance to Jeffrey Epstein who says his life has been made a misery because people repeatedly mistake him for the jailed child sex offender, even though his alleged double is dead.
Rifat Ozdemir, 55, spoke out after a string of insulting comments and hostile reactions from people he encountered on the street in the city of Kayseri, in central Turkey.
Picture shows Turkish man Rifat Ozdemir from Kayseri, who resembles billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, undated. He said he is disturbed by the negative perceptions people have of him. Note: Image is a screenshot from video. (Newsflash)
He described himself as an ordinary hard working guy and said he was shocked when he became the target of uncomfortable stares and remarks in public after people began saying he resembled the disgraced American billionaire, who was jailed on child sexual abuse charges and was later found dead in prison.
Rifat said the resemblance was first pointed out by his nephew, who told him he looked like Epstein — a name he said he did not recognise at the time.
After researching who Epstein was through news reports and social media, Rifat said he was deeply upset and did not want to be associated with him in any way.
Picture shows the billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, undated. A Turkish man has been compared to him. Note: Image is a screenshot from video. (Newsflash)
He said people gave him harsh and judgmental looks as he walked down the street, adding that hearing people say “he looks like Epstein” left him distressed and uncomfortable.
Describing himself as a normal, hard-working citizen, Rifat said being compared to such a figure had negatively affected his daily life and state of mind.
In an effort to distance himself from the resemblance, he said he planned to change his hairstyle and grow a beard, despite never having worn one before.
Rifat said he would make every possible change to his appearance to avoid being associated with Epstein, even though he believed his facial lines and expressions closely resembled him.
He appealed to the public in a statement over the weekend not to compare him to Epstein, stressing that he had no connection to him and adding that such figures did not come from Kayseri.
(Ajda Ender / Newsflash)