A newly released email, believed to have been sent by Ghislaine Maxwell, appears to directly contradict Prince Andrew’s long-standing claim that the infamous photograph of him with Virginia Giuffre was fabricated or altered.
Prince Andrew, formerly the Duke of York, has faced years of scrutiny over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Andrew has repeatedly denied allegations that he sexually assaulted Giuffre when she was a teenager, despite later paying millions to settle a civil lawsuit in 2022. He maintained that he had never met her and even questioned the authenticity of the photograph said to show them together at Maxwell’s London home in 2001.
That position is now under renewed pressure following the release of a document from the latest batch of Epstein-related files on January 30.
What the draft statement appears to reveal
The document is a draft statement dated 2015, titled “DRAFT STATEMENT,” sent from an address listed as “G Maxwell” to “J Jep.” In it, Maxwell responds to growing media scrutiny and denies allegations made against her by a woman whose name is redacted but is widely assumed to be Virginia Giuffre.
Throughout the statement, Maxwell strongly rejects claims of sexual misconduct and accuses Giuffre of fabricating stories for financial gain. She insists she never abused anyone, never facilitated sexual encounters, and was unaware of any criminal activity involving Epstein at the time.
However, one passage stands out. Maxwell describes an encounter in London in 2001 where the woman met several of her friends, including Prince Andrew. She states that a photograph was taken during that meeting, suggesting it was done at the woman’s request. This description appears to acknowledge the very photograph Andrew later claimed he did not remember and suggested may have been doctored.
Maxwell also denies asking the woman to give Prince Andrew a massage, a detail central to Giuffre’s allegations.
Why the email matters now
The significance of the draft statement lies not in Maxwell’s denials, but in the apparent confirmation that the photograph was real and taken in her presence. This directly undermines Prince Andrew’s 2019 Newsnight interview, where he claimed no recollection of meeting Giuffre and famously said he was at a Pizza Express in Woking at the time.
Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking, concludes the statement by rejecting what she describes as a trial by media. She criticises journalists for publishing unverified claims and calls on Giuffre to name other alleged abusers and provide evidence that could be tested in court.
While the email does not prove criminal wrongdoing by Prince Andrew, its contents raise serious questions about previous denials and have added new weight to one of the most controversial images linked to the Epstein scandal.
