Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story - 5 harrowing details about British model Chloe Ayling's 2017 abduction, revisited on AMC+

Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story is a true-crime drama series by AMC+. It dramatises the shocking 2017 case of the abduction of a British model, Chloe Ayling, and the events that followed. The kidnapping happened in Italy when Chloe was 20 years old. She flew to Milan for what she believed was a modelling job. But she suffered exploitation and was drugged, attacked, and stuffed into a bag before being transported to Turin by her captors.

The captors included two Polish brothers, Lukasz and Michal Herba, who claimed to be part of a criminal syndicate called the "Black Death." They ran a human trafficking racket, selling girls as sex slaves on the dark web unless a ransom was paid. Read on to know 5 harrowing details about British model Chloe Ayling's 2017 abduction, as shown on Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story.

Here are the 5 harrowing details about the British model's 2017 abduction, as shown on Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story

The show dramatizes the actual events that took place to give viewers a sense of how the events unfolded back then. Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story is dropping on August 28, 2025, in the US. Here are five chilling details about the 2017 kidnapping, as revisited in AMC+ (and BBC)’s compelling retelling:

Lured Under Pretence of a Modelling Gig

Chloe was just 20 when she was lured into a fake modelling gig. She travelled to Milan for what she thought was a legitimate photoshoot lined up by her agency. She was about to meet the photographer in the central Milan studio. The place was deserted and strangely arranged, but Chloe didn’t initially suspect she was in danger; she thought it was just a low-budget studio. It's only later she realised she wasn't meeting any photographer but one of the kidnappers, Lukasz Herba.

Threatened with a Dark Web Auction

Her captors, Polish brothers Lukasz and Michal Herba, claimed to represent a criminal group called the “Black Death.” Chloe was drugged with ketamine in the studio. They threatened to auction Chloe off as a sex slave on the dark web if a ransom of €300,000 (approximately £265,000) wasn’t paid.

Six Days of Terror Before Release

For 6 days, Chloe was held hostage. She endured immense psychological trauma as the captors threatened to sell her online as a sex slave. Her dreams were not only coming to an end but also turning into her worst nightmare.

"I've been through a terrifying experience. I feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour," Ayling told The Telegraph.

Survived by Gaining Captor’s Trust

Chloe very bravely tried to gain the captor's trust during these days. She was able to persuade Lukasz that she could be his girlfriend. Lukasz ended up forming a psychological bond with her, leading to her release, not through a paid ransom, but at the British Consulate in Milan on July 17.

Public Scepticism

When she was released to the consulate, the case hit media headlines. As usual, she had to face several comments blaming her for believing in such a job, but she faced all of the victim-blaming and scrutiny calmly and with a smile. Even during interviews, most notably with Piers Morgan, her credibility was attacked.

Despite two convictions, Lukasz and Michal both received prison sentences, later reduced on appeal. On the other hand, Chloe continues to face online doubt and vitriol, as shown on Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story.

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With Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story, Chloe has finally got the chance to reclaim her narrative. This is because the story dives deeper not only into the event of kidnapping but its aftermath as well, how the media treated her, labelled her a liar, and believed she was inviting trauma for herself.

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