Jeffrey Epstein spent thousands of dollars funding his ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell before he hanged himself in prison awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, The Sun reported. The newspaper said the disgraced financier, who rubbed shoulders with presidents, A-list celebrities, and members of the royal family, paid her legal bills, claiming she was a victim of a vendetta against him.
"Jeffrey had already been helping to pay her legal bills up until he died. He said she wouldn’t have been involved in these lawsuits if it wasn’t for him", The Sun reported citing an anonymous source.
One of Epstein’s accusers Virginia Giuffre claimed she was trafficked to London at the age of 17 where she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew in Maxwell’s mansion. The royal categorically rejected the accusation and said he didn’t remember meeting Giuffre, despite a photo online, showing Maxwell, the Duke of York and Virginia Giuffre, back then Virginia Roberts, with the royal embracing the young girl.
Maxwell too denies accusations against her and claims she knew nothing of Epstein’s misdeeds. In 2015, Virginia Giuffre sued Maxwell for defamation and in 2017 the case was settled in her favour for an undisclosed sum of money.
The development comes as Maxwell sued Jeffrey Epstein's estate demanding that it cover her legal and security costs. The 58-year-old claims that the disgraced financier, who took his own life on 10 August, while awaiting trial for sex trafficking of minors, promised to always support her financially and that she purportedly has this promise in writing. In addition, Maxwell claims that the ongoing investigation into Epstein’s alleged crimes have resulted in numerous threats to her life, requiring her to hire personal security.
The news caused an uproar on social media with users demanding the authorities throw Maxwell in prison.
Others wondered why the daughter of a billionaire is in need of money and noted that Epstein’s money should be given to his numerous victims.