The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, reportedly described Jeffrey Epstein as a “supreme friend” in an email sent in 2011, according to two national newspapers. This revelation comes despite her earlier public condemnation of the disgraced financier following his conviction for sex offenses.
The email, published by The Sun and the Mail on Sunday, was reportedly sent just weeks after the Duchess had publicly distanced herself from Epstein. In 2011, she had stated that her association with him was a “gigantic error of judgment” and vowed to have no further contact, adding, “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children.” She also acknowledged that Epstein’s actions were wrong and that he was “rightly jailed.”
Epstein, who had been imprisoned three years prior for soliciting a minor, had apparently threatened to sue the Duchess for defamation. Her spokesperson explained that the email was an attempt to appease him and avert legal action.
“The duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims,” the spokesperson said. “Like many people, she was taken in by his lies. As soon as she was aware of the extent of the allegations against him, she not only cut off contact but condemned him publicly, to the extent that he then threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with paedophilia.”
The spokesperson emphasized that the Duchess stands by her public condemnation of Epstein and does not retract any of her previous statements. The email, they clarified, was sent in the context of advice she received to manage Epstein’s threats.
Epstein, a well-connected financier and convicted sex offender, died by suicide in 2019 while facing charges of sex trafficking in New York.