'Like a hole in the head': Prince Andrew's friends slam Ghislaine Maxwell's 'unhelpful' support from prison
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA: Friends of Prince Andrew reportedly say that the Duke of York needs help from former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell "like a hole in the head." The pedophile's conspirator called the Duke of York a "dear friend" in a prison interview on Sunday, October 16, and expressed sincere sorrow over his own tragic fall from grace.
Maxwell also claimed that a photograph of Prince Andrew with his own sexual assault accuser Virginia Giuffre was "fake." Maxwell refused to deny that she and the Duke were a couple, and declared, "I care about him." Prince Andrew's friend stated to The Sun, that the Duke was attempting to move on with his life and stay out of the public eye, so "receiving words of support from a convicted sex trafficker isn't very helpful."
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Maxwell, who has known Prince Andrew since she was a student at Oxford University in the 1980s, spoke highly about her friendship with him and said in her bombshell interview with The Mail, "Yes, I follow what is happening to him. He is paying such a price for the association with Jeffrey Epstein. I consider him a dear friend...I care about him, and I feel so bad for him." Her comments come as the Ministry of State on Sunday releases a brand-new image of the former socialite, which was taken at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York this year before she was transferred to a Florida prison to serve her 20-year sentence.
According to The Sun, the friend also claimed that the Duke of York who lives at Windsor Lodge with ex-wife Fergie needs Maxwell's support "like a hole in the head."
Prince Andrew, on the other hand, has sought to maintain distance from the convicted sex trafficker who was described in court as a "sophisticated predator." Maxwell's controversial comments on Prince Andrew are believed to quash the Duke's hopes of returning to public life after being effectively expelled from the Royal Family this year.
The Duke was defended by attorneys against accusations that he sexually assaulted Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Epstein's sex slave. Epstein died in remand prison in 2019. The infamous photo of Virginia, then 17 years old, and Andrew being surrounded by Maxwell surfaced across the media. It was captured by Epstein in 2001 at Maxwell's residence in London. Virginia filed a lawsuit against Andrew in New York earlier this year, and he reportedly paid her £7 million out of court.
Maxwell is now serving her 20-year sentence at FCI Tallahassee, a low-security prison in the Sunshine State. She will reportedly be eligible for release on July 17, 2037. Maxwell reportedly earned as little as 15 cents an hour cleaning toilets at the prison, the Daily Mail reported.