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Elle Macpherson reveals the reason for her divorce

Elle Macpherson has revealed how her controversial cancer treatment played a major part in her divorce from billionaire Jeffrey Soffer. The supermodel made the bombshell claim in her new memoir, Elle: Life, Lessons and Learning to Trust Yourself, sharing how she was still married to Soffer in 2017 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Macpherson <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/shockingly-irresponsible-elle-macpherson-slammed-for-holistic-cancer-treatment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refused chemotherapy</a> from 32 doctors, revealing that her decision took a toll on her marriage. “My diagnosis of breast cancer, followed by my final choice of Dr C’s holistic approach to recovery… was not one that Jeff could trust or feel at ease about,” she candidly wrote. “And really this process was the straw that broke the camel’s back… it opened up the floodgates and everything changed,” she emotionally added. “Our marriage was over and we both knew it.” Macpherson and Soffer split that year after four years of marriage. Earlier this year, Macpherson was widely slammed after revealing that she did not have chemotherapy after being diagnosed HER2-positive oestrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma: a type of breast cancer characterised by a higher level of a protein that can help breast cells multiply quickly. The 60-year-old said that her former husband wasn't the only one who didn't agree with her health choices, sharing that she didn't tell her family about her plans to forgo traditional treatment. “I didn’t tell my family in Oz, not even my parents,” she stated of her cancer diagnosis in her memoir. “I didn’t want to put them in a situation where they were worrying from afar and I knew that my choices were different from what they may have imagined was good for me.” “The hardest part was making the decision on how to heal,” she added. “The saddest part was the lack of understanding from people close to me.” Image credits: Billy Farrell/BFA/Shutterstock Editorial

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Secret transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein investigation finally released

Secret transcripts from the 2006 Grand Jury investigation into allegations of sex trafficking and rape against Jeffrey Epstein have been made public for the first time. On Monday, approximately 150 pages of unseen transcripts were released to the public, which were released weeks earlier than originally anticipated. “It is our hope that the release of these records gives peace of mind to our community and gives Jeffrey Epstein’s victims the closure they deserve,” Clerk of the Circuit Court in Palm Beach County, Florida, Joseph Abruzzo, said in a <a title="www.mypalmbeachclerk.com" href="https://www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/Home/Components/News/News/734/16" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. In February, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that allowed the documents to be released, with the judge planning a hearing for next week to discuss when and how they would be released. “The details in the record will be outrageous to decent people,” Circuit Judge Luis Delgado wrote in his ruling. “The testimony taken by the Grand Jury concerns activity ranging from grossly unacceptable to rape – all of the conduct at issue is sexually deviant, disgusting, and criminal.” The transcripts detail a testimony in 2005, where an anonymous 17-year-old girl was approached by a friend who said she could make $US200 ($300) if she gave a massage “to a wealthy man in Palm Beach”. She went to his house and was led to a room by Epstein’s assistant, and was instructed to remove her clothes by the millionaire. According to Palm Beach Police Detective Joe Recarey’s testimony, Epstein told the girl he would pay her if she brought “girls” to his home, “And he told her, ‘the younger, the better’.” Over an undetermined amount of time, the girl brought six friends from her high school to Epstein’s home, including a 14-year-old girl. Following the Grand Jury investigation in 2006, Epstein took a plea deal with South Florida federal prosecutors in 2008. The deal, which has been criticised for being too lenient, allowed him to get away with several federal charges of abuse against underage girls if he pleaded guilty to Florida state charges, as he pleaded guilty to soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019 after spending just over a month in custody as he awaited sentencing. Image credits: MGG/Shutterstock Editorial/Palm Beach County Circuit Court

Legal

“I believe Prince Andrew”: Fergie’s ex speaks in bombshell interview

Sarah Ferguson’s former partner has made bombshell allegations about Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew and the late Queen, including claims that the convicted sex offender planned to blackmail the monarch. John Bryan, who was in a relationship with Ferguson for four years in the 1990s, made the claims in his first tell-all interview, per The Sun. The US businessman said that Epstein earned some of his wealth by blackmailing others in powerful positions into giving him money in exchange for his silence over their illicit behaviours. “People always ask how Epstein made his money. He was supposed to be this tax wizard. But it was all a con,” Bryan told the Mail on Sunday. “He blackmailed rich men and then made them pay to avoid scandal. He made hundreds of millions of dollars this way.” Bryan also claimed he was secretly drafted for crisis talks with Prince Andrew after the royal’s disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview, including that he was smuggled into the Royal Lodge to advise the royal in the wake of the Epstein scandal and amid claims he had sex with then-teenager Virginia Giuffre. He said the conversation involved probing Andrew about his relationship with Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. “Andrew’s television interview had been a catastrophe so they needed an honest strategic plan that everyone could buy into,” Bryan recalled. “[Fergie] invited me to come over. She was desperate. She told me that Andrew was in terrible shape. “He was distraught. They were distraught.” He claimed that he helped the family come up with a “long term strategy” called “House of Kroy”, a backwards spelling of York. During the interview, Bryan said Epstein’s “ultimate” aim was to blackmail the Queen using the allegations of child sexual abuse and other sexual activities made against Andrew. “Epstein tried to lure Andrew into his web, but I believe his ultimate mark was the Queen,” Bryan said, adding that Epstein’s plan to target the Queen supported his belief that the allegations against Andrew were unfounded. “I believe Andrew is innocent. If he genuinely was involved in ‘orgies’ as has been alleged, then Epstein would have used that to try and bribe the Queen into paying out millions to protect her family,” he said. “Andrew has never had any money. The Queen was the one with money. “I truly believe Epstein was going after her but Andrew never gave him the ammunition to do so.” The financial advisor recalled another meeting with the royals, including Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. Bryan claimed Princess Beatrice told Andrew, “you’ve hurt our family”, and that Andrew was “downcast” and yelling: “I don’t care anymore, I don’t care. I am being treated unfairly.” He added that the Duke was in a state he had never seen him in before after the interview. “In the four years I dated Sarah I never once heard him raise his voice or lose his temper,” he said. “It showed what strain he was under, how much he cared about the damage this was doing to the Royal Family.” Bryan added that he had only seen Andrew with women aged in their mid-20s while he was dating Fergie, and that he believed there was “no hint” of “anything untoward going on”. “I truly believe if there was anything untoward going on I would have known about it, Sarah would have known about it,” he said. “But there was never a hint of that. I remain and will always remain an outsider, so let me be the first outsider to say that I believe Prince Andrew – and I don’t say it lightly. “This outsider has a lot of inside knowledge.” Image: Getty Images

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"They’re making money off tragedy": Netflix’s Dahmer series shows the dangers of fictionalising real horrors

Netflix’s recent series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has stirred <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-63088009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">controversy</a> over its apparent glamorisation of a serial killer and perceived insensitivity towards the families of Dahmer’s victims. In contrast to more journalistic true crime entertainment (<a href="https://theconversation.com/true-crime-entertainment-like-the-teachers-pet-can-shine-a-light-on-cold-cases-but-does-it-help-or-hinder-justice-being-served-189787" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which has its own issues</a>), the dramatisation and fictionalisation of real-life crimes, such as Dahmer, has drawn a wave of criticism for re-traumatising victims and their loved ones, and glorifying criminals. <h2>Artistic license or sensationalist schlock?</h2> Whether presenting itself as an accurate retelling or merely “inspired by true events” – there is always going to be some artistic license when transforming a complex true crime story into a movie or TV series. While changes from real life to screen are often relatively minor, such as having multiple police officers represented by one fictionalised detective, others can significantly misrepresent events. Anne Schwartz, the journalist who broke the original Dahmer story, has called the recent Dahmer Netflix series “not a helpful representation”. In an interview with the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/anne-e-schwartz-jeffrey-dahmer-autopsy-polaroids-b2194855.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Independent</a>, Schwartz criticised the caricatured depiction of law enforcement in the series. She also took aim at key plot elements, such as having key witness Glenda Cleveland (played by Niecy Nash) live next door to Dahmer, rather than in the building next door (as in real life). Other dramatisations of real-life crimes have gone much further, adding sensationalist – and even downright supernatural – elements to true events. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7976208/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Haunting of Sharon Tate</a>, written and directed by Daniel Farrands and released in 2019, was universally panned by critics and audiences alike for graphically depicting the real life murder of actress Sharon Tate by the Manson family. In the film, Tate (played by Hilary Duff) has apparent premonitions of her murder in her dreams, with the film ending with a meeting of Manson’s victims in the afterlife. Film critic Owen Gleiberman <a href="https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-haunting-of-sharon-tate-review-hilary-duff-1203179977/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the film “pure, unadulterated cheeseball exploitation” opining that it “goes out of its way to turn the Manson murders into schlock horror”. <h2>Re-traumatising victims and their families</h2> Victims of crime and their loved ones are frequently angered and re-traumatised when their real-life stories become fodder for public consumption. The families of homicide victims are particularly disadvantaged when encountering inaccurate or insulting depictions of their loved ones, given legal protections of reputation, such as claims in defamation, don’t apply if the person defamed is deceased. Some of the families of Dahmer’s victims have expressed outrage at the Netflix series, noting that they were never approached about the show’s release. Rital Isbell, whose brother was murdered by Dahmer, had her heart-breaking victim impact statement dramatised in the series without her knowledge or consent. She called the series “harsh and careless” in a <a href="https://www.insider.com/rita-isbell-sister-jeffrey-dahmer-victim-talks-about-netflix-show-2022-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">piece</a> in Insider expressing that “It’s sad that they’re just making money off of this tragedy”. The question of who benefits from depictions of real-life crimes is an important one, with large studios and streaming platforms earning millions while victims and their families are often left to bear the consequences of increased public attention. Australian films haven’t been immune to this tension between artistic freedom and the wishes of victim’s families. The 1997 Australian film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118735/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blackrock</a>, directed by Steven Vidler and adapted from a play by Nick Enright was clearly <a href="http://www.textjournal.com.au/oct09/brien.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inspired by</a> (although denied by Enright) the real-life rape and murder of 14-year-old schoolgirl <a href="https://7news.com.au/original-fyi/crime-story-investigator/leigh-leigh-remembering-murdered-14-year-old-stockton-girl-30-years-on-c-535209" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leigh Leigh</a> in 1987. Leigh’s family were highly critical upon the film’s release finding the depiction exploitative and accusing the filmmakers of “feasting on an unfortunate situation”. <h2>Making celebrities out of serial killers</h2> The rise of online “fandoms” surrounding real-life killers is an increasingly documented phenomena likely tied to the increased pop culturalisation of true crime. Social media site Tumblr has a variety of dedicated fan accounts for history’s monsters, with everyone from serial killer Richard Ramirez to school shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold getting special treatment. Researcher Andrew Rico sees such fandoms as partially motivated by an urge to <a href="https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/671" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shock and scandalise</a> the public, but notes they also indicate the tabloid depiction of criminals such as schools shooters has led to a form of dark celebrity. This is supported by the work of doctoral student Sasha Artamonova, who views dark fandoms as a kind of “<a href="https://www.academia.edu/32699599/Rebels_with_a_Cause_School_Shooters_Fandom_as_a_Form_of_Counterculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">counter-culture</a>” movement rallying against moral norms. The Dahmer Netflix series has <a href="https://uk.style.yahoo.com/why-hollywood-obsessed-casting-teen-134800169.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received criticism</a> for casting Evan Peters as Jeffery Dahmer, given his status as a teen heartthrob who rose to fame in creator Ryan Murphy’s far more lighthearted horror series American Horror Story. The Gen Z populated TikTok is full of fan videos of his depiction of Dahmer. Similar criticism was levelled at another Netflix series Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile which cast Highschool Musical star Zac Efron as serial rapist and murderer Ted Bundy. An unhealthy obsession with serial killers is, of course, nothing new – Jeffery Dahmer received <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Dahmer-Letters-Milwaukee-Cannibal/dp/B0B72T273N" target="_blank" rel="noopener">many positive letters</a> and even marriage proposals while incarcerated. However, some worry the recent trend of casting attractive celebrities as serial killers could have flow on effects. One writer in Odyssey <a href="https://www.theodysseyonline.com/hollywood-romanticizes-serial-killers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that “young and impressionable youth of today might find themselves empathising with and falling for people who are actually dangerous”. Whether such concerns are prescient or a textbook example of moral panic remains to be seen. Ultimately, there will always be an audience for stories of the murderous and macabre, with fascination in the darker side of life an incredibly common human impulse. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/theyre-making-money-off-tragedy-netflixs-dahmer-series-shows-the-dangers-of-fictionalising-real-horrors-192006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Netflix

Britain’s Channel 4 announce satirical Prince Andrew musical

Britain’s Channel 4 network has announced they will be producing a satirical musical with Prince Andrew at the centre. The UK broadcaster said the 60 minute musical satire will detail the fall of the disgraced royal and his disastrous 2019 interview discussing his ties with late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The BBC Newsnight interview, widely regarded as a public relations catastrophe for the Duke of York, will be "re-imagined” as part of the program, but with a sarcastic twist. Comedian Kieran Hodgson will lead a cast of comics in Prince Andrew: The Musical, a program described as a "satirical send-up of the life and times" of the duke set to a musical score. The show will be part of a 40th anniversary season of shows called Truth or Dare for Channel 4, which launched in 1982. It has not yet been announced exactly when it will air. At the time of the interview, critics tore into Prince Andrew for his lack of empathy for the abused victims of Epstein, who killed himself in prison in August 2019. Ever since the interview, the Duke of York has remained embroiled in controversy surrounding his potential involvement with Epstein. As a result, he was stripped of his military titles and his use of "his royal highness" in early 2022. Image credits: Getty Images

Music

"You opened the door to hell": Epstein victims address Ghislaine Maxwell as she is sentenced

Content Warning: This article discusses Child Sexual Abuse (CSA). Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for recruiting and grooming four teenage girls who were sexually abused by her then-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein. At her sentencing hearing in Manhattan federal court, the 60-year-old showed no emotion as she was sentenced early Wednesday (Australia time). Before learning the sentence, four of the survivors read out victim impact statements, describing the abuse they faced at the hands of Maxwell and Epstein, as well as the long term emotional impacts they have experienced as a result. “For a long time I wanted to erase from my mind the crimes that Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell committed against me … but I’ve had to acknowledge the long-lasting effects,” Annie Farmer, the fourth victim to take the stand, said, breaking into tears during her statement. “One of the most painful and ongoing impacts of Maxwell and Epstein’s abuse was the loss of trust in myself.” Sarah Ransome, Elizabeth Stein, and the accuser known as “Kate” also shared their statements, while the attorney for Virginia Giuffre read out her statement in court. Standing up at a Plexiglass-enclosed lectern, Maxwell described Epstein as a “manipulative, cunning and controlling man” who fooled everyone around him and said she was “sorry” for the pain his victims experienced. “It is my greatest regret of my life that I ever met Jeffrey Epstein,” she said. “I also acknowledge that I have been convicted of helping Jeffrey Epstein commit these crimes. “And despite the many helpful and positive things I have done in my life and will continue to do … I know that my association with Epstein and this case will permanently stain me.” However, she attempted to shift the blame onto Epstein, emphasising that he “should have been here before all of you”, echoing arguments her lawyers made that she had been scapegoated for Epstein’s crimes. This is despite her involvement as the person to introduce the victims to Epstein and statements from victims describing her abusing them as well. During sentencing, US Circuit Judge Alisan Nathan said Maxwell didn’t appear to express remorse or take responsibility for her actions. “Maxwell directly and repeatedly and over the course of many years participated in a horrific scheme to entice, transport and traffic underage girls, some as young as 14, for sexual abuse by and with Jeffrey Epstein,” Judge Nathan said. “The damage done to these young girls was incalculable.” The sentencing comes after Maxwell was convicted of five of six charges laid against her in December 2021, which followed a month-long trial and 40 hours of deliberation by jurors. Maxwell was convicted of: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> sex trafficking, </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> conspiracy to entice individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> conspiracy to transport individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Transportation of an individual under the age of 17 with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, and, </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of individuals under the age of 18. </li> </ul> Prosecutors last week called Maxwell’s conduct “shockingly predatory” and said she deserved to spend at least 30 years behind bars, based on their interpretation of sentencing guidelines. Maxwell’s lawyers argued that she should be sentenced for no more than five and one-quarter years, due to her being scapegoated and the time she has already spent in prison since her arrest in July 2020. However, her official sentence is far lower than the maximum possible sentence of 55 years that she could have received. Judge Nathan calculated that the sentencing guidelines called for 15.5 to 19.5 years in prison, but delivered a higher sentence due to the victims’ disturbing testimony and Maxwell’s “direct and repeated participation in a horrific scheme”. “Miss Maxwell is not punished in place of Epstein,” she said. “Miss Maxwell is being punished for the role that she played.” Image: Getty Images

Legal

Royal Family strips Prince Andrew of all royal patronages and military titles

The British Royal Family has removed Prince Andrew’s military titles and royal patronages, meaning the Queen’s second son will no longer be known as ‘His Royal Highness’. The move comes as Andrew fights a lawsuit brought in US court by Virginia Giuffre, accusing him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager. Andrew was already forced to step down from public duties in 2019 because of his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and after a disastrous BBC interview failed to clear his name. Buckingham Palace said in a statement, “With the Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to the queen. The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.” On Wednesday, Andrew’s lawyers failed to persuade US District Judge Lewis Kaplan to dismiss Virginia Giuffre’s civil lawsuit, and Judge Kaplan ruled that Giuffre could pursue claims that Andrew battered her and intentionally caused her emotional distress while Epstein was trafficking her. Andrew continues to deny Giuffre’s accusations that he forced her to have sex with him. The decision means Andrew could be required to give evidence at a trial which could begin between September and December if no settlement is reached. A source close to Andrew said, “Given the robustness with which Judge Kaplan greeted our arguments, we are unsurprised by the ruling. However, it was not a judgment on the merits of Ms Giuffre’s allegations. This is a marathon not a sprint and the Duke will continue to defend himself against these claims.” As for the Royal Family’s move to distance themselves from Andrew, the BBC’s royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said, “This is now about the protection of the royal family’s reputation. This is likely to do, and is already doing, considerable reputational damage – it’s being followed around the world.” Andrew’s military affiliations and patronages will be redistributed to other members of the family. Image: Christopher Furlong - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Legal

Secret court papers revealed in Prince Andrew case

A secret legal settlement between Virginia Giuffre and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/on-the-show/giuffre-epstein-agreement-made-public-c-5175529" target="_blank">has been made public</a>, as Prince Andrew attempts to dismiss Giuffre’s lawsuit against him. Court papers, which have been sealed since 2009, revealed that Giuffre received $USD 500,000 ($NZD 736,332) from Epstein, who she claims trafficked and abused her. The royal filed the settlement as part of an attempt to dismiss Giuffre’s case against him, in which she alleged he sexually assaulted her three times when she was 17. In her lawsuit, Giuffre accused Andrew of abusing her at two of his homes, as well as forcing her to have sex at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/30/ghislaine-maxwell-what-happens-next-charges-sentencing" target="_blank">recently convicted</a> of five charges including recruiting and grooming teenage girls and sex trafficking a minor. Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegations, and has <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/prince-andrew-s-latest-claims-in-lawsuit" target="_blank">previously moved to dismiss the lawsuit</a> by claiming it was “unconstitutional” under the Child Victims’ Act, since Giuffre was above New York’s age of consent at the time. He also attempted to block proceedings on the grounds that Giuffre was no longer a US citizen three days before the settlement was released. However, a federal judge rejected the claims and ordered his lawyers to turn over key legal documents. With the release of Giuffre’s settlement, the prince’s legal team argue that the agreement shields him from liability due to provisions that prevent her from taking legal action against “any other person or entity” who could have been a defendant. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> NEW: A 2009 settlement agreement between Epstein and <a href="https://twitter.com/VRSVirginia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VRSVirginia</a> for $500k has been unsealed. Prince Andrew's lawyer's hope a clause in it (which says "potential defendants" in lawsuits brought by Giuffre are protected from liability) will see her sexual abuse lawsuit dismissed. <a href="https://t.co/750Iv5q4vh">pic.twitter.com/750Iv5q4vh</a> — Omid Scobie (@scobie) <a href="https://twitter.com/scobie/status/1478052106061836288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2022</a></blockquote> The document states that once Giuffre, referred to by her maiden name, received the funds that she agreed to “remise, release, acquit, satisfy and forever discharge the said second parties and any other from all, and all manner of, action and actions of Virginia Roberts, including state or federal, cause and causes of action”. Though Andrew was not mentioned in the document, his attorneys said the settlement released him from liability. “Giuffre settled her sex-traffickinig and sexual-abuse claims against Epstein in 2009,” his lawyers said in a court filing on October 29. “In doing so, she provided Epstein with a general release of all claims against him and numerous other individuals and entities. “To avoid being dragged into future legal disputes, Epstein negotiated for this broad release, insisting that it cover any and all persons who Giuffre identified as potential targets of future lawsuits, regardless of merit - or lack thereof - to any such claims.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrinceAndrew?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrinceAndrew</a>'s legal team is arguing that bc <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JeffreyEpstein?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JeffreyEpstein</a> paid a settlement to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VirginiaGiuffre?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VirginiaGiuffre</a>, she can't pursue him for his alleged sexual assault crimes against her. That sounds like "Yes I did it, but my friend Jeffrey paid the girl." — Peter Murphy (@PeterWMurphy1) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterWMurphy1/status/1478076434308427777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2022</a></blockquote> They argued that Andrew’s status as a “senior member of the British royal family” meant he belonged to “one of the expressly identified categories of persons” who were “released from liability under the release agreement”. “As a third-party beneficiary of the release agreement, Prince Andrew is entitled to enforce the general release contained therein.” A representative for Giuffre’s lawyers said the document’s release was “irrelevant to Ms Giuffre’s claim against Prince Andrew” as it doesn’t mention him, as reported by <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/03/jeffrey-epstein-prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. “He did not even know about it. He could not have been a ‘potential defendant’ in the settled case against Jeffrey Epstein both because he was not subject to jurisdiction in Florida and because the Florida case involved federal claims to which he was not a part,” the representative said. “The actual parties to the release have made clear that Prince Andrew was not covered by it. “Lastly, the reason we sought to have the release made public was to refute the claims being made about it by Prince Andrew’s PR campaign.” Andrew’s legal team will argue for the dismissal on Tuesday in New York, where US District Judge Lewis Kaplan will decide whether Giuffre will be blocked from suing the prince. Image: Getty Images

Legal

On the elegance and wry observations of Jeffrey Smart, one of Australia’s favourite painters

Review: Jeffrey Smart, National Gallery of Australia Although I never met him, Jeffrey Smart (1921-2013) was my first art teacher. As “Phideas” on the ABC Radio’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argonauts_Club">Argonauts</a> program he told stories of art and artists, explaining ways of seeing to children across Australia. Two things I remember from my childhood listening. The first was the marvel of the <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/golden-ratio-in-art-328435">Golden Mean</a>, the magical geometric ratio that governs the western tradition of art. The second was a story of <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/rmbt/hd_rmbt.htm">Rembrandt</a> who took his own path as an artist, even though that led to criticism by his peers. After I discovered Phidias’s identity I could see the Golden Mean writ large in his carefully constructed paintings. But Rembrandt? Jeffrey Smart’s painting surfaces meticulously honour the Italian Renaissance and his composition at times has echoes of the metaphysical works of <a href="https://www.artnews.com/feature/giorgio-de-chirico-why-is-he-famous-1202687371/">Giorgio de Chirico</a>. They have nothing in common with Rembrandt’s painterly approach. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437390/original/file-20211214-23-17pb3qm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437390/original/file-20211214-23-17pb3qm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Jeffrey Smart, Waiting for the train, 1969-70. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, purchased 1969, gift of Alcoa World Alumina Australia 2005, © The Estate of Jeffrey Smart. But that wasn’t the point of the story. Smart was speaking in Sydney in about 1960, a time and place when artists were expected to be hard drinking heterosexual men performing painterly abstraction. Smart was not a part of that culture. He had a lifelong allegiance to the classical forms of the Italian <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Quattrocento">quattrocento</a>, especially the exquisite formal geometry of <a href="https://artuk.org/discover/artists/piero-della-francesca-c-14151492">Piero della Francesca</a>. His love of structure, smooth surface, fine detail and his sexuality put him at odds with Australia. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437393/original/file-20211214-13-13ub98q.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437393/original/file-20211214-13-13ub98q.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Jeffrey Smart, Morning at Savona, 1976, University Art Collection, Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney, Donated through the Alan Richard Renshaw Bequest 1976. © The Estate of Jeffrey Smart. It was only later, years after he retreated to Italy, that his home country came to fully appreciate the elegance of his wry observations. In his old age, this artist once out of tune with his peers, became one of Australia’s most favoured sons. Now, on the centenary of his birth, the National Gallery’s Deborah Hart and Rebecca Edwards have curated a thoughtful and generous reassessment linking Smart to the places and people who nourished him. <h2>Shape, line and colour</h2> It begins in his home town of Adelaide: a city with a well planned urban centre and (back then) a culture of Protestant conformity. The young Smart painted buildings and industrial waste; the way light and shade makes patterns on surfaces; the contrast between clear constructed shapes and fluid humanity. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437392/original/file-20211214-15-19oh8wn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437392/original/file-20211214-15-19oh8wn.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Jeffrey Smart, Corrugated Gioconda, 1976. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, purchased 1976, © The Estate of Jeffrey Smart. Local cinemas introduced him to Alfred Hitchcock, whose films use visual clues to imply tension. Hitchcock was famous for inserting himself as an incidental figure into his narratives. I have always wondered if that solitary of a watching man in so many of Smart’s paintings is in part a tribute to the original master of visual suspense. Smart would only ever discuss his work in terms of their formal relationship between shape, line and colour. This insistence on formalism goes back to his early studies in Adelaide and the influence of the modernist painter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorrit_Black">Dorrit Black</a> (1891-1951), who had returned to Adelaide after some years in France. The curators have included her <a href="https://searchthecollection.nga.gov.au/object?uniqueId=29974">House-roofs and flowers</a> which hangs beside Smart’s early structured <a href="https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/436.2001/">Seated Nude</a>. It is easy to see the connection. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437428/original/file-20211214-17-1eqwvss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437428/original/file-20211214-17-1eqwvss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Jeffrey Smart, Keswick siding, 1945. Tarntanya/Adelaide. Oil on canvas. 62 x 72.1 cm. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney Gift of Charles B Moses 1982 193.1982 There is a sense of wanting to escape in some paintings of his Adelaide period, such as Keswick Siding. This is less so after he moved to Sydney where he found, despite his unfashionable devotion to precision and classical form, his art was accepted as being a part of the <a href="https://www.portrait.gov.au/portraits/2008.24/the-merioola-group">Charm School</a>, which it was not. Living and working in Sydney, he also became greatly admired as a teacher at the National Art School and a broadcaster. <h2>Humour and friends</h2> Even the most structured works of Smart’s maturity include visual jokes and a human touch. In Holiday, 1971, a relentless pattern of balconies and windows is disrupted by the small figure of a woman, lazing in the sun. He always claimed he introduced people in his paintings of buildings to give a sense of scale, an old artist’s trick. I am not sure how that works in the Portrait of Clive James, unless it was to remind the subject of his significance in the scheme of things. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437429/original/file-20211214-21-16vusye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437429/original/file-20211214-21-16vusye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Jeffrey Smart. Portrait of Clive James. 1991–92 Tuscany, Italy. Oil on canvas. 109 x 90.4 cm. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney Purchased with funds provided by the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales 1992 © The Estate of Jeffrey Smart Photo: AGNSW 276.1992 Smart’s relocation to Italy in 1963 saw a lightening of his palette, and a joyous celebration of light with the contrasting geometry of the blocky shapes of the modern world and the human scale of the old. There is a running theme of visual wit, but only for those who notice. Waiting for the train (1969-70) has echoes of compositions by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piero_della_Francesca">Piero della Francesca</a>, albeit in gloomy tones. His portrait of Germaine Greer places her against an impastoed wall, a surprising rough painterly texture which could either be a comment on the subject’s character or a riposte to those who considered he was lacking in technical skill as a painter. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437430/original/file-20211214-19-ptwv8f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437430/original/file-20211214-19-ptwv8f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Jeffrey Smart. Portrait of Germaine Greer. 1984 Tuscany, Italy. Oil and synthetic polymer paint on canvas. 96 x 120 cm. Private collection Some of the most satisfying works are Smart’s portraits of friends, and here his humour comes into play. The scholarly writer David Malouf is depicted as a workman in overalls, holding a twisting orange pipe. Margaret Olley is at the Louvre, a place she loved, but placed in front of a row of anonymous wooden screens. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437431/original/file-20211214-23-at8gxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437431/original/file-20211214-23-at8gxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Jeffrey Smart. Portrait of David Malouf. 1980 Tuscany, Italy. Oil and synthetic polymer paint on canvas. 100 x 100 cm. The State Art Collection, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth. Purchased 1983 © The Estate of Jeffrey Smart 1983/0P13 Most fascinating of all is The listeners, 1965 where a young man lies in a field of grass, overseen by a surveilling radar. The head is a portrait of Smart’s friend, the art critic Paul Haefliger who had retreated from Australia to Majorca. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437432/original/file-20211214-21-nj1p6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437432/original/file-20211214-21-nj1p6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Jeffrey Smart. The listeners. 1965 Rome, Italy. Oil on canvas. 91.5 x 71 cm. Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat. The William, Rene and Blair Ritchie Collection. Bequest of Blair Ritchie 1998 © The Estate of Jeffrey Smart 1998.23 It shows visual contrasts between modern technology and nature, between the golden grass, red radar and dark sky and (for those in the know) between the young body of the model and the head of the ageing Haefliger. Smart’s portraits rarely focus on their subject. The one exception is The two-up game (Portrait of Ermes), 2008, who became Smart’s life partner in 1975. His calm face is backgrounded by the solid geometry of containers on one side and the fluidity of people playing a game of chance, on the other. In formal terms, his image in the foreground balances the composition. This also seems to be the meaning, the reason for it all. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437433/original/file-20211214-15-1hmeyhq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437433/original/file-20211214-15-1hmeyhq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Jeffrey Smart. The two-up game (Portrait of Ermes). 2006 Tuscany, Italy. Oil on canvas. 86.8 x 158.4 cm. TarraWarra Museum of Art, Healesville. Purchased 2006 2006.011 Jeffrey Smart is at the National Gallery of Australia until May 15 2022<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171109/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joanna-mendelssohn-8133">Joanna Mendelssohn</a>, Principal Fellow (Hon), Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. Editor in Chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/on-the-elegance-and-wry-observations-of-jeffrey-smart-one-of-australias-favourite-painters-171109">original article</a>. Image: Jeffrey Smart, Margaret Olley in the Louvre Museum. 1994–95 Tuscany, Italy. Oil on canvas 67 x 110 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.

Art

Never-before-seen photos emerge in Ghislaine Maxwell abuse trial

Content warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of child abuse and sexual assault, which may be triggering to some readers. British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has come under scrutiny in court, as she faces charges including sex trafficking of minors. Ms Maxwell has been on trial over accusations of helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse four underage girls, to which she has pleaded guily to. As the trial reaches its seventh day of proceedings, three of the four women have testified against the 59-year-old former girlfriend of Epstein. She has consistently denied playing a role in the series of sexual assaults Epstein has been accused and charged for, with her legal team echoing her claims. Ms Maxwell’s lawyers have said her accusers’ memories have been corrupted over time, with lawyer Bobbi C. Sternheim telling the court that she is being treated as “a scapegoat for a man who behaved badly”. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846239/epstein1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/dc2969dfb3f14dd2afa3906c3ea118a3" /> Image: US District Attorney’s Office However, a document presented before the court on Tuesday has provided a conflicting view of the relationship between them. An FBI digital forensic examiner shared details of the document, which was created by a user called ‘GMax’ on a computer seized by the agency from Epstein’s New York mansion in 2019. The author of the document wasn’t revealed. “Jeffrey and Ghislaine have been together as a couple for the last 11 years,” the document read. “They are, contrary to what people think, rarely apart, I almost always see them together. “Jeffrey and Ghislaine share many mutual interests and they have a lot of fun together,” it continued, adding that “they compliment each other really well”. “On top of being partner’s (sic) they are also best of friends.” Never-before-seen photos were also presented to the court, with some showing Ms Maxwell massaging Epstein’s feet. Others showed the pair embracing and kissing in various locations that were often exotic. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846238/epstein2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c3d5ec6d295b450caa3382b4fac41820" /> Image: US District Attorney’s Office The images were also seized during the 2019 raid. Prosecutors are expected to call a fourth woman to testify against Ms Maxwell, before wrapping up their case two weeks ahead of schedule. They allege Ms Maxwell played a part in procuring girls and young women for Epstein, the multimillionaire financier who had ties to billionaire Leslie Wexner, Donald Trump and Prince Andrew. No allegations of trafficking have been made against Mr Trump or Mr Wexner. Virginia Giuffre, another woman alleging she was trafficked and abused by Epstein and Ms Maxwell, has alleged she was trafficked to Prince Andrew when she was 17. She is not expected to appear in Ms Maxwell’s trial. The first two women to testify, known by the pseudonyms Jane and Kate, testified that they had been aspiring entertainers when they were approached by Maxwell, who told them Epstein could help them advance their careers. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846237/epstein3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/95c492519b3b47bf83424ce9b107fb7a" /> Image: US District Attorney’s Office Jane said she was first abused by Epstein during the mid-1990s when she was 14, and that Ms Maxwell trained her in how to sexually satisfy Epstein. She also testified that Epstein personally drove her to meet Mr Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort. David Rodgers, one of Epstein’s pilots, also testified, telling the court he had seen Jane on at least four flights. “She’s flown with Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and other people as well,” Mr Rodgers said. The second woman to testify, Kate, said she was first abused when she was 17 and was lured into giving Epstein sexual massages. On Tuesday, a woman identified as Carolyn testified that she was a minor when she began having sex with Epstein. She also said Ms Maxwell touched her once while she was preparing to massage Epstein. “I was fully nude and [Maxwell] came in and she felt my boobs and my hips and my buttocks and said that … I had a great body for Mr Epstein and his friends,” Carolyn told the court. While under cross-examination by Ms Maxwell’s lawyer Jeffrey Pagliuca, she was asked whether there was an “incentive for you to stick to your story” after she reached a $USD 3.25 million settlement with a fund to compensate Epstein’s victims, mentioning Ms Maxwell in her claim. “Money will not ever fix what that woman has done to me,” Carolyn said, sobbing. Image: Getty Images

News

Fergie and Prince Andrew may say "I do AGAIN"

It’s been reported Prince Andrew wants to say “I do” again with his ex and the mother of his children – Sarah Ferguson – 25 years after they divorced. But first he’ll have to survive the sex-assault lawsuit which was filed against him this week by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claims she was forced to have sex with the prince three times – beginning when she was 17. These charges relate to incidents two decades ago, when the complainant says she was also being abused by the financier Jeffrey Epstein, according to a court filing. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/afd84d77024a4d8d9f68a0c684ed6656" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 282.0284697508897px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844078/fergie-and-prince-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/afd84d77024a4d8d9f68a0c684ed6656" /> These accusations from Roberts Giuffre have come to light earlier but have only just been confirmed in this lawsuit. As a result, Prince Andrew has been relieved of his royal duties. Fergie has continued to defend him in the face of these accusations and Prince Andrew denies all of the allegations. It’s thought the support of Fergie in this situation, is one of the factors which has brought the royal couple closer. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/64b0995bdb4c4a46a8e50ae88de86048" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.43418467583496px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844079/fergie-and-andrew-later-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/64b0995bdb4c4a46a8e50ae88de86048" /> Royal romance rekindled during COVID lockdown After being divorced in 1996, Prince Andrew and Fergie have apparently rekindled their romance during the COVID pandemic and have even been living together at the Royal Lodge, sources told Vanity Fair magazine. One source added: “It has rekindled something and I can see a second wedding happening if it all goes Andrew’s way.” Fergie recently told Polsat News she still lives by her vows from her 1986 marriage, even though the couple divorced in 1996. “I keep my commitment, no matter what,” the Duchess of York said. Last month Fergie told WSFM’s Jonesy and Amanda that her wedding to Prince Andrew at Westminster Abbey was “the greatest moment of my life”. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6b9bbac31b6247e6976725a5efc333d2" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.437125748503px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844080/fergie-andrew-wedding-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6b9bbac31b6247e6976725a5efc333d2" /> “I had my handsome Prince, he’s also a sailor, he had a sword, I mean you couldn’t write it could you, it was a fairy tale,” she said. “It was a great love story and I guess that’s why we’re best friends now. It was just really extraordinary,” she added. Image: Getty Images and Twitter

Relationships

“The powerful and rich are not exempt”: Prince Andrew sued over alleged sexual assault

TRIGGER WARNING: SEXUAL ASSAULT Australian-American Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime accusers, has sued Prince Andrew, saying he sexually assaulted her when she was 17. Ms Giuffre’s lawyers filed the lawsuit in Manhattan federal court on Monday. In a statement, Ms Guiffre said the lawsuit, where she alleges she was trafficked to him and sexually abused by him, was brought under the Child Victims Act. Under the act, victims of childhood sexual abuse can file a lawsuit up to the age of 55 against a person or institution that may have been involved. “I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me,” she said. “The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. “I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but to reclaim one’s life by speaking out and demanding justice. “I did not come to this decision lightly,” she continued. <img style="width: 400px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843011/82482731_153388842942400_6058970600144240907_n.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ef68d67ff30c4f0f91e5656b1a98dbf1" /> Image: Virginia Guiffre / Instagram “As a mother and a wife, my family comes first - and I know that this action will subject me to further attacks by Prince Andrew and his surrogates - but I knew if I did not pursue this action, I would be letting them and victims everywhere down.” In a previous interview with BBC Newsnight in 2019, Prince Andrew said he had never had sex with Ms Guiffre. “It didn’t happen,” he said. He continued to say he had “no recollection” of ever meeting her and that there were “a number of things that are wrong” about her account of the encounter that allegedly occurred in 2001. “I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened,” Andrew said. According to the allegations, Prince Andrew abused Ms Guiffre multiple times while she was under the age of 18. On one occasion that allegedly occurred in Ghislaine Maxwell’s home in London, Guiffre was allegedly forced by Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew to have sexual intercourse with the prince against her will. The lawsuit also claims that on a separate occasion, Prince Andrew allegedly sexually abused Guiffre at Epstein’s New York home, where Maxwell forced Guiffre and another victim to sit on Andrew’s lap while he touched her. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that Andrew sexually abused the plaintiff on Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands. During each incident, Epstein, Maxwell, and/or Prince Andrew gave her “express or implied threats” to engage in the sexual acts with the prince, according to the lawsuit. <img style="width: 500px; height: 331.54296875px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843012/gettyimages-1192977806.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d29f2f9760cf45bd9be04d6525fdfc5f" /> Melania Trump, Prince Andrew, Gwendolyn Beck, and Jeffrey Epstein. Image: Getty Ms Maxwell, 59, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges, and will face trial at Manhattan federal court in November. Epstein died at the age of 66 while in federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019, one month after his arrest for sex trafficking charges. Manhattan prosecutors have formally requested to speak with Prince Andrew as part of their continuing probe into Epstein and his encounters with women and teenage girls. Ms Guiffre’s action comes as a fund set up to pay Epstein’s victims announced that it had largely completed its work on Monday, after agreeing to provide $US 125 million ($NZD 179 million) to more than 135 individuals. The Epstein Victims Compensation Program, administered by Jordana Feldman, was designed as an alternative to lawsuits, which could take years to result in a payout. Ms Feldman said 92 percent of 150 eligible applicants have accepted the payments offered by the fund, which were financed with money from Epstein’s estate.

Legal

"Lucky escape" for Winston Churchill's great-granddaughter on Epstein's notorious island

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> One of Princess Diana's younger bridesmaids detailed her "very lucky" escape after she was a guest on Jeffrey Epstein's island. Clementine Hambro took two flights on Epstein's jet, including one dubbed the Lolita Express. On both occasions, she had been at Epstein's luxury homes where he spent many years abusing young girls. She also was at Epstein's Island Little St James in the US Virgin Islands, which was dubbed by locals as Paedo Island. Miss Hambro, a great-granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill, said she has been "completely horrified" by the revelations about the financier’s conduct and her "heart breaks for all the survivors". The now-married mother of four said she did not suffer or witness any abuse, but added that she hopes the victims "get the justice they so deserve". She issued a statement after flight logs, which were released as part of court documents, revealed that she flew on the jets to Epstein's visits to his ranch in New Mexico as well as the island. She made the trips back in 1999, where she was a 23-year-old employee at Christie's auction house in New York. In a statement last night, Miss Hambro said: "The first flight was a work trip with female colleagues to look at Epstein’s new home in Santa Fe to discuss what art he was going to buy. "The second trip, to Little St James, was a personal invitation, which I thought would be fun to accept, but I didn’t know anyone there, didn’t really enjoy myself, and never went back. My heart breaks for all the survivors, now I know what happened on that island. "In the course of those two trips, I was not abused, nor did I see anyone abused, or anything untoward happen, with minors or otherwise. I have been completely horrified about the revelations of his conduct since then. I was clearly very lucky, my heart goes out to those who were abused by him, and I trust they get the justice they so deserve." She also apologised for being "young and naive". "I was young and naive, and could not conceive of what was to unfold." She only travelled on the jets when leaving his homes, according to the logs. It is not known how she arrived at the ranch and the island. </div> </div> </div>

Legal

“I just wish her well” Trump’s bizarre show of support for accused child sex trafficker

When US President Donald Trump held his first media briefing on the coronavirus in almost three months, it briefly went off topic after a reporter asked him about accused child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell, who was allegedly Jeffrey Epstein’s right hand woman, helped find and sexually abuse underage girls and is currently behind bars in New York. She has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges. Towards the end of Trump’s briefing, which until that point solely focused on the pandemic, he was asked whether Maxwell would expose the powerful men involved in the sex ring for a deal from prosecutors. “Ghislaine Maxwell is in prison, and a lot of people want to know if she’s going to turn in powerful people. I know you’ve talked in the past about Prince Andrew, and you’ve criticised Bill Clinton’s behaviour. I’m wondering, do you feel that she’s going to turn in powerful men? How do you see that working out?” the reporter asked. “I don’t know, I haven’t really been following it too much. I just wish her well, frankly,” Mr Trump replied. “I have met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach. And I guess they (Maxwell and Epstein) lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well, whatever it is. “I don’t know the situation with Prince Andrew. I’m just not aware of it.” Many who were watching were shocked after hearing the President wishing an accused child sex trafficker well. Maxwell was arrested and charged earlier this month. She was accused of “conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse minors”, alleging she both “facilitated” and “participated in” his crimes. “Maxwell enticed minor girls, got them to trust her, and then delivered them into the trap that she and Jeffrey Epstein had set,” said the Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Audrey Strauss. “She pretended to be a woman they could trust. All the while, she was setting them up to be abused sexually by Epstein and, in some cases, Maxwell herself.” “The heinous crimes these charges allege are, and always will be abhorrent for the lasting trauma they inflict on victims,” added New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea.

News

Ghislaine Maxwell is secretly married, prosecutors say

Ghislaine Maxwell is secretly married but refuses to reveal the name of her spouse to FBI investigators, prosecutors said during a court proceeding. Speaking in Maxwell’s bail hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors said she “declined” to identify her spouse to court officials. The disclosure came as Maxwell pleaded not guilty via video link to federal charges accusing her of enabling Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking of minor girls. Maxwell’s lawyers requested her release on a US$5 million bond co-signed by six people, but she was ultimately denied bail. “In addition to failing to describe in any way the absence of proposed co-signers of a bond, the defendant also makes no mention whatsoever about the financial circumstances or assets of her spouse whose … identity she declined to provide to pretrial services,” assistant US attorney Alison Moe told Manhattan federal judge Alison Nathan. “There is no information about who will be co-signing this bond or their assets and no details whatsoever.” Moe said Maxwell poses an “<a rel="noopener" href="https://nypost.com/2020/07/15/ghislaine-maxwell-is-secretly-married-prosecutors-say/" target="_blank">extreme</a>” flight risk if released on bail, saying that she was evasive about the source of her wealth and used <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/15/ghislaine-maxwell-married-court-jeffrey-epstein" target="_blank">a fake identity</a> to purchase the New Hampshire estate where she was arrested on July 2. She was sent back to the Metropolitan Detention Center pending her trial, which is slated for July 12, 2021. Maxwell, a long-time associate of Epstein, is charged in a 17-page indictment with four counts of conspiracy to entice minors into sex acts and two counts of perjury. She has repeatedly denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The 58-year-old faces up to 35 years in prison if convicted.

News

Ghislaine Maxwell arrested by FBI

Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite and the long-time girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein, has been hit with charges for allegedly helping to recruit, from and viciously abuse children. Maxwell, who benefitted for years from Epstein’s prominent wealth, was the billionaire’s travel companion on trips around the world. "Maxwell played a critical role in helping Epstein to identify, befriend, and groom victims for abuse. In some cases, Maxwell participated in the abuse herself," Audrey Strauss, the acting Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said. She has also accused of lying to authorities during previous investigations into Epstein. "Maxwell lied because the truth, as alleged, was almost unspeakable," Ms Strauss said. "Maxwell enticed minor girls, got them to trust her, and then delivered them into the trap that she and Epstein had set for them. "She pretended to be a woman they could trust … all the while she was setting them up to be sexually abused by Epstein and in some cases by Maxwell herself." William F Sweeney Jr, an assistant director at the FBI, said investigators had been "discreetly keeping tabs on Maxwell's whereabouts" since Epstein's arrest in 2019. "More recently we learned she'd slithered away to a gorgeous property in New Hampshire, continuing to live a life of privilege while her victims live with the trauma inflicted upon them years ago. "We moved when we were ready and Ms Maxwell was arrested without incident." He went on to say: "Like Epstein, Ms Maxwell chose to blatantly disregard the law and her responsibility as an adult, using whatever means she had at her disposal to lure vulnerable youth into behaviour they should never have been exposed and which creates lasting harm." Reports say Ms Maxwell has been charged with six counts in connection with the ongoing investigation into Epstein’s accomplices. The charges are enticement and conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, and transportation and conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Other charges include two counts of perjury, according to a federal indictment unsealed today. "In particular, from at least in or about 1994, up to an including at least in or about 1997, Maxwell assisted, facilitated, and contributed to Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of minor girls by, among other things, helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims known to Maxwell and Epstein to be under the age of 18," the indictment says. The victims included girls as young as 14-years-old.

News

Jeffrey Epstein's 'madam' Ghislain Maxwell spotted in Paris

British socialite and longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, is reportedly "hiding out" in a luxury Paris apartment, according to The Sun. The 58-year-old reportedly fled to France to avoid questioning in the US over her connection to the late disgraced billionaire and has been living in plain sight in Paris's exclusive 8th Arrondissement, just a few minutes away from Epstein's property that was raided last year. A US Federal Bureau of Investigation probe is currently focusing on Maxwell and others who facilitated his alleged trafficking on underage girls said law enforcement sources in December. Maxwell's whereabouts have remained unknown as she disappeared from the public eye since 2016. The socialite has denied the allegations against her. But according to The Sun, she was spotted in France before COVID-19 lockdowns were enforced and has stayed there ever since. Sources told The Sun that Maxwell hopes to benefit from being a French citizen as she cannot be extradited should she face criminal charges in the United States. Maxwell has been accused of recruiting underage girls for Epstein to abuse, but she has denied those claims.

Legal

US calls out Prince Andrew for false portrayal

Prince Andrew is caught up in a battle with US authorities after they made an accusation against him, say he is refusing to cooperate with the investigation into his disgraced friend Jeffrey Epstein. The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey Berman, said the Duke of York was trying to “falsely portray himself to the public” after he publicly insisted he had offered to help “at least three times” and was being treated at a “lower standard” than other citizens. On Monday, Prince Andrew’s legal team at Blackfords LLP issued an extraordinary statement refuting claims that the Queen’s second son had offered “zero co-operation” and a “wall of silence” to investigators. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://t.co/KUKvXQsrzd">pic.twitter.com/KUKvXQsrzd</a> — US Attorney SDNY (@SDNYnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SDNYnews/status/1270074605923958785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2020</a></blockquote> His lawyers, Clare Montgomery QC and Stephen Ferguson, said so far they had chosen not to speak out about any conversations with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) but would now do so in light of “misleading media briefings.” Prince Andrew’s team says the DOJ had been “actively investigating” Epstein for 16 years “yet the first time they requested the Duke’s help was on 2nd January 2020.” “The Duke of York has on at least three occasions this year offered his assistance as a witness to the DOJ. Unfortunately, the DOJ has reacted to the first two offers by breaching their own confidentiality rules and claiming that the Duke has offered zero co-operation. In doing so, they are perhaps seeking publicity rather than accepting the assistance proffered,” they said. The lawyers then claimed that the Geoffrey Berman, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York is making “inaccurate” statements after he said there had been a “wall of silence” from Prince Andrew back in January. But it didn’t take long for Mr Berman to fire back at the Duke of York’s “false” claims. “Today, Prince Andrew yet again sought to falsely portray himself to the public as eager and willing to cooperate with an ongoing federal criminal investigation into sex trafficking and related offenses committed by Jeffrey Epstein and his associates, even though the Prince has not given an interview to federal authorities, has repeatedly declined our request to schedule such an interview, and nearly four months ago informed us unequivocally - through the very same counsel who issued today’s release - that he would not come in for such an interview,” he said in a statement released by his office. “If Prince Andrew is, in fact, serious about cooperating with the ongoing federal investigation, our doors remain open, and we await word of when we should expect him.” In early March, Mr Berman had said the Prince “shut the door” on US authorities. “These statements were inaccurate, and they should not have been made,” the lawyers said. “It is a matter of regret that the DOJ has seen fit to breach its own rules of confidentiality, not least as they are designed to encourage witness co-operation. “Far from our client acting above the law, as has been implied by press briefings in the US, he is being treated by a lower standard than might reasonably be expected for any other citizen. “Further, those same breaches of confidentiality by the DOJ have given the global media – and, therefore, the worldwide audience – an entirely misleading account of our discussions with them,” the lawyers said.

Legal

Special treatment for Weinstein amid fears of “another Jeffrey Epstein incident”

Convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein will reportedly be given special treatment as jail officials raise concerns over another possible “Epstein incident”. According to <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2020/02/26/harvey-weinstein-worries-nyc-prison-officials-rikers-jeffrey-epstein/">TMZ</a>, officials at New York City Department of Correction are taking extraordinary measures to monitor Weinstein amid fears of an event similar to the death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was found hanging in his federal jail cell at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center in July 2019. “The last thing you want is another Jeffrey Epstein incident,” a source told <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/02/26/harvey-weinstein-may-stay-out-of-city-jails-to-avoid-another-epstein-incident/">The New York Post</a>. “Harvey is going to be isolated as much as possible and will always have a detail with him throughout the prison. He’s never going to be like other prisoners, able to walk down the hallway or sit in the canteen alone.” The special surveillance has started on Monday at Bellevue Hospital Center, where Weinstein was being treated for chest pains following his conviction of third-degree rape and sexual assault. A jail captain escorted Weinstein on every move and the entire hospital unit was shut down to prevent him from encountering other inmates, Joe Russo, president of the Assistant Deputy Wardens / Deputy Wardens Association told <a href="https://thecity.nyc/2020/02/convicted-rapist-harvey-weinstein-may-avoid-rikers-island.html">The City</a>. “There seems to be a Jeffrey Epstein influence here,” Russo said. Russo said Weinstein could get an entire housing unit just for himself if he is sent to Rikers Island as expected. “He’s very high-profile and you can’t put him with somebody else.” Sources told The Post state officials will have the final decision on where Weinstein will stay. Weinstein faces up to 29 years in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping former actress Jessica Mann in 2013. The 67-year-old faces more charges in Los Angeles, but <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-26/harvey-weinsteins-life-now-that-he-has-been-convicted/12001272">no date has been set for the case to begin</a>.

Legal

New witness speaks out about Prince Andrew

A new witness has come forward in the case against Prince Andrew, claiming she saw the Duke of York dancing with his accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre in a London nightclub. Lawyer Lisa Bloom, who represents five women who say they were sexually assaulted by financier Jeffrey Epstein, said an <a href="https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/lisa-bloom-new-witness-saw-prince-andrew-with-jeffrey-epstein-victim-at-nightclub-in-2001/">unnamed witness</a> saw Prince Andrew with Giuffre in London’s Tramp nightclub in 2001. Bloom told a press conference in New York that the witness stepped on Prince Andrew’s foot by mistake while dancing next to him, and a friend told her who he was. The witness then noticed the prince was with a young girl that she later recognised from pictures as Giuffre. Bloom said the witness stepped forward with the information because she was “incensed” that Prince Andrew had denied meeting Giuffre in his BBC Newsnight interview. “Because he is a very powerful person, she is in fear of the repercussions to her,” Bloom said on Wednesday. “On behalf of my client, I have relayed the details of her story to the FBI, and she is ready, willing and able to speak to them when they are ready.” In her interview with <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50607705">Panorama</a>, Giuffre said she was in 2001 taken by Epstein and socialite Ghislaine Maxwell to Tramp and introduced to Prince Andrew, who asked her to dance. “He is the most hideous dancer I’ve ever seen in my life,” Giuffre said. “His sweat was like it was raining basically everywhere.” Giuffre said after they left the club, Maxwell instructed her “to do for Andrew what I do for Jeffrey”. She alleged she had sex with Prince Andrew later that evening at Maxwell’s house in Belgrave. The Duke has repeatedly denied having any form of sexual contact or relationship with Giuffre. He stepped back from his royal duties in November following backlash from his Newsnight interview.

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Special treatment for Weinstein amid fears of “another Jeffrey Epstein incident”

New witness speaks out about Prince Andrew