Ghislaine Maxwell has made the explosive claim that paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was once “set up” on a date with Princess Diana at a high-profile London event in the 1990s.
The convicted child sex trafficker revealed the bombshell allegation during a two-day interview with US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche last month, according to newly released transcripts and audio recordings published on Friday. Maxwell, 63, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence, claimed the event was organised by Baroness Rosa Monckton, one of Diana’s closest friends.
“I don’t know if she was being set up as a date for him, maybe because she was,” Maxwell stated in the 380-page transcript. “I don’t want to speak bad of Diana but… I’m not going to do that.”
Meeting at ‘Big Event’ in London
According to Maxwell’s testimony, Epstein met the late Princess of Wales at what she described as a “big event” that appears to have taken place in London during the mid-1990s. The timing would likely coincide with Diana’s separation from King Charles, but before her tragic death in 1997.
Maxwell claimed that before she met Epstein in 1991, he had lived in London and cultivated “high society” friends, including Baroness Monckton. She told investigators that photographs existed of the encounter between Epstein and Diana.
“I don’t know if he sat with Diana or he met with Diana and he’d already met her. I don’t know, but this event, I believe was organised by Rosa,” Maxwell stated during the interview.
Baroness Rosa Monckton, who was awarded an MBE for her charity work, was indeed one of Princess Diana’s most trusted confidantes. The two women shared an extraordinarily close friendship, with Diana serving as godmother to Monckton’s daughter Domenica, who has Down syndrome.
Trump Pardon Speculation Surrounds Interview
The timing and nature of Maxwell’s revelations have raised eyebrows amongst legal experts and victims’ lawyers, who suggest she may be angling for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump. The Deputy Attorney General who conducted the interview, Todd Blanche, previously served as Trump’s criminal defence lawyer.
During the interview, Maxwell described Trump as a “gentleman” who never engaged in criminal activity with Epstein. “I actually never saw the President in any type of massage setting,” she stated. “I never witnessed the President in any inappropriate setting in any way.”
Brad Edwards, a lawyer representing Epstein victims, questioned Maxwell’s motives: “Could her purpose be more transparent?” Similarly, Sigrid McCawley, who represented Prince Andrew’s accuser Virginia Giuffre, accused Maxwell of trying to “recreate history.”
Bizarre Explanations for Epstein’s Crimes
In the newly released transcripts, Maxwell offered disturbing explanations for why Epstein molested children, some as young as 14. She claimed he found his victims “invigorating” and enjoyed how they introduced him to new music.
Maxwell suggested Epstein became more “aggressive” after beginning testosterone treatments, sometimes using two hormone patches daily. At one point, she compared his lifestyle to the television show Sex and the City, suggesting he was merely a “Sugar Daddy” rather than a predator.
Contradicting testimony from victims who said Epstein abused three girls daily, Maxwell claimed he couldn’t have sex frequently due to a heart condition. She also revealed that Epstein had told her about this medical condition, which she said prevented him from having “normal sexual intercourse.”
Prince Andrew Connection Denied
Maxwell denied introducing Epstein to Prince Andrew, contradicting widely held assumptions about their relationship. She claimed the Duke of York and Epstein met at a dinner party in Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket in the late 1990s or early 2000s.
The socialite’s testimony comes as Prince Andrew continues to face scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein and allegations made by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked to the royal when she was 17. Andrew has consistently denied all allegations and reached an undisclosed settlement with Giuffre in 2022.
Celebrity Connections Revealed
The interview provided insights into Epstein’s extensive network of celebrity connections. Maxwell confirmed Epstein was “friendly” with supermodel Naomi Campbell and had a friendship with Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
She also revealed she went “dinosaur bone hunting in the Dakotas” with Epstein and current US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., though she insisted she “never saw anything inappropriate with Mr Kennedy.”
When asked about other high-profile figures, Maxwell said she had visited Richard Branson’s Caribbean island but didn’t believe the Virgin founder was friends with Epstein. She also discussed interactions with Bill Gates, actors Chris Tucker and Kevin Spacey, claiming she was unaware of any inappropriate activity involving them.
Clinton Denials and Client List Claims
Maxwell firmly denied claims that former President Bill Clinton had travelled to Epstein’s notorious private island in the US Virgin Islands. When pressed about whether Clinton received massages, she responded: “I don’t believe he did.”
“The only time that I think that President Clinton could have even received a massage. And he didn’t, because I was there,” she stated, referring to time spent on Epstein’s plane.
Crucially, Maxwell shot down persistent rumours about the existence of an “Epstein client list,” stating definitively that no such document exists.
FBI and Legal Experts React
Former FBI director Andrew McCabe described the “entire thing” as “so suspicious,” claiming Maxwell was “trying to get some sort of benefit from the administration.”
CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig questioned the veracity of Maxwell’s answers, stating: “I don’t know how DOJ could put this out there as some sort of truth-teller telling us the truth. It’s really hard to swallow.”
The interview was conducted under “proffer immunity,” meaning Maxwell’s answers cannot be used against her in future prosecutions. This type of immunity is typically granted to individuals prosecutors hope to turn into cooperating witnesses.
Victims’ Advocates Express Outrage
Annie Farmer, who testified against Maxwell at trial, questioned why the convicted trafficker was granted such high-level access. “It’s very disappointing that these things are happening behind closed doors without any input from the people that the government asked to come forward,” she said.
James Marsh, who represented Epstein victim Maria Farmer, noted he had “been trying to lower expectations about this transcript” for weeks, adding that the revelations were “more of the same” from Maxwell “over decades.”
The Justice Department’s decision to release the transcripts follows weeks of pressure from Senate Republicans demanding more transparency about Epstein’s connections to high-profile figures. The release comes as Maxwell appeals her 2021 conviction for sex trafficking minors.
Maxwell continues to maintain that she has been made a “scapegoat” following Epstein’s death in federal custody in 2019, which was ruled a suicide. Her attorney, David Oscar Markus, claimed: “The only reason she was ever charged is that she served as a scapegoat after Jeffrey Epstein died in prison.”
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