TW: mentions of abuse
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Prince Andrew has been in some very hot water recently. His connection to the notorious criminal Epstein has been brought back into the spotlight following the release of previously unsealed court documents. Prince Andrew is named in the documents over 70 times, bringing his involvement in the affair to the forefront of the scandal.
Prince Andrews’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson stood by him when he was first accused by Virginia Giuffre of abuse. She accused him of having assaulted her on three separate occasions whens he was only 17. Though Prince Andrew has always denied these claims, he settled out of court with her for an undisclosed sum in 2022. Now, Fergie seems to be backing away from her ex-husband - perhaps in a bid to protect her own career. This comes as Sarah Ransome, another of Epstein’s victims, doubles down about her claims that tapes exist of the royal at Epstein’s home.
Sarah Ferguson seems to be dialling back her support
Over Christmas, Prince Andrew was extended an olive branch by the royal family. He attended events over the festive period at the invitation of his brother King Charles. The Epstein documents were released earlier this year, meaning that the monarch might now be regretting this decision.
When Prince Andrew was first accused by Virginia, Sarah Ferguson stood up for him. She called him the ‘best man in the world’. This was a sentiment she repeated over the years, calling him a ‘giant of a principled man’ on Instagram, but this support seems to have dwindled recently. Fergie is keen to set up some TV work, and is thought to be worried about how Prince Andrew’s reputation could have a knock-on effect on her career.
A Christmastime snap she shared on X displayed a notable absence of her ex-husband: the photo featured only herself and her two daughters.
According to the Daily Mail, Fergie has been asked more than once by producers to avoid the sticky topic of the Epstein affair while working.
Sarah Ransome’s dangerous claim
This comes as another of Epstein’s victims, Sarah Ransome, has doubled down on some shocking claims. Yesterday, on 9 January 2024, Ransome spoke on Good Morning Britain about her experience. Ransome made claims about the existence of video tapes that documented the abuse of young girls on Epstein’s property in 2016. She went on to retract them, but explained yesterday that this was out of fear. She insisted that she had been telling the truth.
Ransome explained that Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving time for her role in the Epstein trafficking affair, had forced her to take back the claims by threatening her family. Ransome said on GMB:
There are videos that exist. The people that know they exist I'm sure are very frightened of them being released.
Ransome has confirmed that she is ‘willing to testify in court’ that she has seen footage of high profile men having relations with her unnamed friend.
In an email to Ransome, sent to columnist Maureen Callahan in 2016, the young woman stated that her friend had managed to get a hold of a copy of the tapes. She said that with Bill Clinton, Richard Branson and Prince Andrew ‘tapes were in fact filmed on each separate occasion by Jeffery’.
Maxwell seemed to accidentally admit the existence of tapes when she once appeared on 60 Minutes. When the topic came up, she said, ‘I don't know where they are’.
Ransome also explained that Epstein was too ‘clever’ to have been shot in any of the footage.
Read more:
⋙ Epstein’s ‘Global Girl’ Nadia Marcinko hasn’t been seen since court documents released
⋙ The Crown: The creator of the show will not touch Prince Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
⋙ If Prince Andrew is evicted from Royal Lodge, where would he live?
Sources used:
The Sun: VICTIM'S CLAIM Jeffrey Epstein victim Sarah Ransome doubles down on Prince Andrew, Richard Branson & Bill Clinton ‘sex tape’ claim
Mail Online: Jeffrey Epstein victim Sarah Ransome says her JPMorgan boyfriend told her not to tell police about him while they were dating
The Guardian: Prince Andrew settles Virginia Giuffre sexual assault case in US
