NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT THIS! Photo of Prince Andrew 'LAUGHING' as he denied rape allegations set to rock Royal family
Prince Andrew was reportedly photographed "laughing his head off” as he denied allegations of raping an underage girl during a 2019 interview because he “thought it had gone very well.” The photo remains unreleased, but the BBC photographer who clicked it said that it would “embarrass” the royal family if it was made public.
The snap is set to appear in a book about the infamous interview, written by former Newsnight producer Sam McAlister. A film about the interview will also reportedly be released. The photographer who clicked the picture, Mark Harrison, worked for the BBC on the night of Prince Andrew's disastrous 'Newsnight' interview. He had revealed earlier this month that the snap would shake the monarchy if it was released.
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“It’s a still picture showing Emily interviewing Andrew. You can see his face and he’s laughing," The Sun quoted a source as saying. "People will feel it was reckless for him to laugh during such a sensitive interview. But he probably didn’t realize the seriousness or consequences of laughing or how it would look on camera. You have to bear in mind that after the interview, he thought it had gone very well — only to be subsequently hit by a wave of negative reaction.”
In the 'Newsnight' interview with Emily Maitlis, Andrew spoke about his friend, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Producers may recreate their own version of the photo as a dramatization in the forthcoming film. A source close to the 'Newsnight' interview, who has seen the original picture, said that if it became public, it would be extremely shocking if it is decontextualized, the Daily Mail reported. "Our jaws dropped to the floor when we saw it. It would cause Andrew much embarrassment – and imagine how high the bar has to be to cause him embarrassment after everything that has happened," the source said.
"It's the kind of thing which would make the public drop their cornflakes. It is definitely not what Andrew would want out there and apparently, he insisted that it remained secret. It was not one of the shots the BBC released," the source added. "There is, of course, a chance that it will at some point come out for all to see, perhaps if the price is right. Of course, the movie about the interview is happening so that is a possibility." Harrison said of the image, "It has been seen by only a few people but it would be a big deal for the Royal Family. There is much more from that day that is not yet in the public domain."
For the uninitiated, Prince Andrew was accused of sexual assault by Epstein's victim, Virginia Giuffre. Giuffre claimed that she was "required to be sexually exploited by (Epstein's) adult male peers, including royalty, politicians, academicians, businessmen, and/or other professional and personal acquaintances." Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew, alleging sexual assault in London, New York, and on Epstein's private Caribbean island. The lawsuit was formally dismissed on March 8 this year, after the two reached a settlement. The case was officially closed after Manhattan federal court Judge Lewis A Kaplan signed a dismissal stipulation earlier this year. The court document stated that Guiffre and Andrew will pay their own legal costs and fees.
Earlier in June, Andrew was again in the middle of a controversy after lawyers of an alleged victim of Epstein threatened to serve him with legal papers. Representatives for the alleged victim, Caroline Kaufman, said that on the night Kaufman, now 28, said she was raped by Epstein, Andrew was visiting the convicted financier's home in New York. The alleged assault took place in December 2010.
Kaufman had earlier said she had become suicidal after being raped by Epstein. She also claimed to have developed a serious bone disease, osteomyelitis, as a result of being hit in her face by the billionaire. The disease reportedly causes deep pain and muscle spasms. Kaufman's lawyers have called for Andrew to provide a statement as a potential witness to events that unfolded in the Upper East Side townhouse during his visit. The civil lawsuit, however, does not accuse Andrew of any wrongdoing. It also does not say that he was aware of any attack on Kaufman, who was 17 at the time of the incident.