Ghislaine Maxiwell dealt Prince Andrew a serious blow in the US sex court case before he was allowed to settle out of court.
Email leaked from the friend of the prince and now convicted sexual trafficker confirmed that the famous picture of Virginia Roberts, the duke with his arm wrapped around Virginia Roberts was real.
Andrew had taken the photo in Maxwell’s London home in 2001. Miss Roberts was then questioned and his legal team demanded she turn it over.
Email leaked from the friend of the prince, now convicted of sex traficking, seemed to confirm that the famous picture of Virginia Roberts standing in front of his accuser was authentic.
Although it had been claimed by the Duke’s Legal Team that the image might have been a hoax, an email obtained from Daily Mail shows Maxwell who is in the background, still believes it to exist.
Maxwell writes in the 2015 message: “It seems real.” It seems real to me.
Yesterday was a dramatizing day. It was revealed that Miss Roberts had misplaced the original image.
Her legal team disagreed with that assertion, claiming that Miss Roberts had misplaced a CD with a copy of the image and that the FBI owned the hard copy.
It was to serve as a crucial piece of evidence in Andrew’s claims of battery and infliction emotional distress, which she had already denied.
Maxwell’s lawyer and Epstein discussed the photograph in an email that was seen by The Mail.
A photo expert was hired by the lawyers of the duke to doubt the image’s authenticity.
Andrew could argue that copies cannot be accepted as evidence if Miss Roberts has not provided the original.
His accuser wouldn’t have been able rely on his photograph to prove they had met.
However, Maxwell’s lawyer and Epstein’s former attorney, Alan Dershowitz discussed the photograph in an email that the Mail saw.
Mister Dershowitz wrote on January 10, 2015: “Dear G. Do know if the photo of Andrew with virginia really exists?” I am in the background.
Prince Andrew and Ghislaine maxwell at Ascot 2000. Maxwell’s London house is where the photograph of 2001 was captured.
Maxwell responded 11 minutes later: “It seems real.” Maxwell replied: ‘It looks real.
This exchange was significant as Miss Roberts stated for the first times in court papers that she was forced by Andrew to have sex.
A judge dismissed the allegation and called it “impertinent”. Andrew panicked and, according to emails reported previously by BBC, Maxwell contacted him at 5.50 a.m. on January 3, 2015.
“Let me know when you can speak,” wrote the Duke. I have some questions for you regarding Virginia Roberts.
Maxwell said: Maxwell replied: ‘Have some information.
Miss Roberts was denied sex by Mr Dershowitz.
After Epstein claimed immunity in 2009, she had dropped the battery claim she brought against him.
Miss Roberts currently sues Mr. Dershowitz, accusing him of defamation.
The lawyers of the deceased did not reply to inquiries for comment.