TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein, claimed in a July 2024 Justice Department interview that Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, introduced Britain’s Prince Andrew to the disgraced financier, not her, according to The Daily Beast on August 23, 2025. Maxwell, serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, made the statement during a two-day session with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, as part of over 500 pages of transcripts released on Friday.
“I did not introduce Prince Andrew to Jeffrey Epstein. That was Sarah Ferguson’s doing,” Maxwell stated, per The Daily Beast. The claim shifts focus to Ferguson, ex-wife of Prince Andrew, who has admitted to accepting $19,000 from Epstein in 2010 to settle debts, later calling it a “gigantic error.” Maxwell’s assertion contradicts years of speculation that she facilitated the connection, which led to Andrew’s controversial friendship with Epstein and a 2022 settlement with accuser Virginia Giuffre for an undisclosed sum, per BBC.
Key points from Maxwell’s interview include:
- Ferguson’s Role: Alleged to have introduced Andrew to Epstein in the late 1990s.
- Maxwell’s Denial: She insists her role was limited to social interactions.
- Public Reaction: X posts, like @Breaking911, question Maxwell’s credibility.
Maxwell’s claims come amid renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s high-profile ties, with a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing 65% of Americans believe more Epstein files should be public. Critics, including Rep. Jamie Raskin, dismissed Maxwell’s statements as self-serving, given her appeal for a pardon, per Semafor. Buckingham Palace declined to comment, but Ferguson’s past financial ties to Epstein fuel skepticism. The revelations keep the Epstein saga in the spotlight, raising questions about accountability.
Source: The Daily Beast
