Ghislaine Maxwell has been in the news quite a lot these days. In case you're unfamiliar with her charges, Ghislaine was tied to Jeffrey Epstein prior to his questionable death in jail. It's said that her role in his operation was to poach minors and entice them into joining Jeffrey's sex trafficking ring. For the past several months, she's been in hiding. But on July 2, she was finally found and arrested by the FBI.
Ghislaine has quite an interesting history. The youngest of nine children, she grew up in a 53-room mansion in Oxfordshire, England. Her father ran a publishing company that was successful during her childhood.
In 1991, her father purchased the New York Daily News, which brought Ghislaine to America. Less than a year later, her father was found dead in an apparent suicide. Ghislaine, who was then in charge of getting his paperwork together, has said on record that she believes he was murdered and that it wasn't a suicide. Oddly enough, people would say the same about Jeffrey Epstein decades later.
She met up with Jeffrey in the early '90s. While they had a romantic relationship for some time, it didn't last. But she was still a big part of his life. Known as the "Lady of the House" by those who worked with Jeffrey, she was deeply involved in his projects and activities.
It's likely that nobody knows more about Jeffrey Epstein's operations than Ghislaine. Which is why it should come as no surprise that she'd found a method of "insurance" to help protect her from severe charges.
According to the New York Post, an ex-friend of Ghislaine's has admitted that the socialite has copies of Jeffrey Epstein's sex tapes in her possession. She reportedly plans on using them as insurance to try to avoid federal charges. According to the friend, Jeffrey had cameras all over his home.
As it stands, Ghislaine is currently awaiting trial in a Brooklyn jail. She's been charged with four counts of sex-trafficking minors and two counts of perjury. According to insiders at the jail site, Ghislaine isn't making a ton of new friends.
Prior to being transferred to Brooklyn, she stayed at the Merrimack County Jail in New Hampshire. There, other inmates referred to her as a "snooty rich b*tch." And much of that had to do with her case. "Nobody wanted anything to do with her," an insider told The Sun.
"Inmates knew who she was," the insider continued. "It's like high school — everyone gossips — but it doesn't mean she's a celebrity. She was a depressed loner. Those involved in sex crimes against children are generally hated and have to group together so they don't get jumped."
While she wasn't in Merrimack for long, the insider stated that the facility did have some perks. "It's not the greatest experience being in Merrimack and there are constant arguments with guards about face masks," the insider said. "The food isn't too bad, spaghetti is a popular dish and they have the option of M&M pancakes on Sundays, while inmates are also allowed movie nights." So she could have made it home had she not transferred.
Still, it was likely that the experience was still jarring for Ghislaine, who — despite some financial setbacks and career mishaps in her life — still led a very privileged lifestyle. "You go from living a life like Maxwell to all of a sudden being in a situation where you’re being strip-searched and having people look into your body cavities," stated the former warden of Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center.
According to The Sun, that warden also referred to Ghislaine's new Brooklyn location as being "one of the most troubled, if not the most troubled facility" in the entire country. Last year, there was no heat during the winter, meaning that the socialite may be in for a complete shock.
So who stands to suffer based on Jeffrey Epstein's case? The biggest name involved is Prince Andrew. While Prince Andrew denies all claims that he was involved in Jeffrey's sex ring, there's evidence that he was close friends with the late pedophile. According to Vanity Fair, the royal has been "nervous" ever since Ghislaine was arrested.
And it's possible that Prince Andrew knows there's a tape out there that might disqualify his claims. Prince Andrew is the third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and he's brought disgrace to the royal family due to these allegations. For now, the royal family hasn't commented too much on what's happening.
However, there have been some changes. CNBC reports that Prince Andrew withdrew from all of his public duties right when his Epstein connection was revealed. Plenty of companies have also made sure to sever ties with him, to avoid any further association. And his mother rightfully evicted him.
Prince Andrew isn't the only one who's worried about Ghislaine's arrest. Bill Clinton and Alan Dershowitz also spent time with Jeffrey Epstein. While nothing has been made official, only they know what might appear on those video tapes.
TV host Christopher Mason was familiar with Ghislaine and Jeffrey and knew how Jeffrey's home was set up. Per the New York Post, he believes that a lot of these powerful men have a lot to worry about. "I'm sure she has access to the videos," he stated. "A lot of powerful people will be more than a little worried."
A former friend of Ghislaine told Daily Mail that based on Ghislaine's character, she'd have no trouble outing the behavior of others as a way to try to save herself. "Ghislaine has always been as cunning as they come," the friend said. "She wasn't going to be with Epstein all those years and not have some insurance."
Since justice wasn't brought for many of Jeffrey Epstein's victims after his untimely death, many are waiting to see what happens with Ghislaine. This case could end up shaking the entertainment and political world if those tapes are eventually released, hopefully giving the unfortunate victims more closure on such a horrific chain of events. At the very least, Ghislaine is currently in a place where she can't cause any additional harm.
