
Share
23rd August 2025
11:16am BST

A former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, has disputed the official cause of death attributed to the disgraced financier.
Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in a sex-trafficking scheme, made the claims last month during recorded talks with officials from the Trump administration.
Audio tapes of the conversation were released to the public and press last night.
Maxwell was interviewed by Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, now the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who offered the convicted sex trafficker immunity on any new admissions she brought forward.
On Trump, the 63-year-old said: "The president was never inappropriate with anybody."
"In the times I was with him, he was a gentleman in all respects."
Also during the released tapes, Ghislaine Maxwell discussed the circumstances surrounding the death of her former employer.
Epstein is widely believed to have died by suicide in a New York jail cell as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019.
Maxwell said: "I do not believe he died by suicide, no", before adding that she also believes any theories that Epstein had been killed in order to keep him quiet are "ludicrous."
Adding: "I also happen to think if that is what they wanted, they would've had plenty of opportunity when he wasn't in jail.
"And if they were worried about blackmail or anything from him, he would've been a very easy target."
Maxwell has also disputed the accusations made towards Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, in connection to Jeffrey Epstein.
Maxwell described the claims made about the Duke as "mind-blowingly not conceivable."
Prince Andrew was accused by Virginia Giuffre, who is not named anywhere in the transcript, of sexually abusing her when she was 17.
The prince has always denied the allegations but did reach a settlement with Giuffre in 2022, which contained no admission of liability or apology.
Explore more on these topics: