Overview
- The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that a spokesperson confirmed Edens as the victim in the federal case, and he expects to testify at trial later this year.
- Prosecutors say Changli “Sophia” Luo threatened to release sexual images and videos and pressed for more than $1 billion while contacting his family and warning she would reach investors.
- Court filings describe a Zoom mediation that produced a $6.5 million deal with $1 million upfront, after which Luo’s lawyers said she learned she had HPV and raised her demand to as much as $1.215 billion.
- FBI agents said a May 2025 search of Luo’s apartment found hidden phones, including one in a box of sanitary pads, with images prosecutors say digitally placed Edens’s face on another man’s body.
- Luo was arrested on June 14, 2025 at JFK while trying to fly to China, pleaded not guilty, and was released on a $500,000 bond under home detention ahead of a trial later this year.