Ghislaine Maxwell has spoken for the first time about her ‘living hell’ behind bars – claiming that she has been assaulted and abused by prison guards, purposely deprived of sleep and given rotting food to eat.
In a world exclusive, Ms Maxwell, who had her £21 million bail application denied for the fourth time last week, also claims negative media coverage while she has been in custody and the deliberate withholding of evidence have made it ‘impossible’ for her to receive a fair trial.
Maxwell, speaking from her 10-foot-by-12-foot prison cell in New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center where she spent 16 months in isolation, said that: “I’ve been assaulted, abused, and detained for nearly a year.”
“I’ve never had a healthy meal since I was a teenager. I haven’t slept without lights on – fluorescent lights that have damaged my eyes – or been allowed to sleep without constant interruptions.
‘I am weak, I am frail. I don’t have the stamina. I am tired. My shoes are not fitting properly. They give me bad food. One of the apples contained maggots. “I have been forbidden to exercise.”
Ghislaine Maxwell spoke from her prison cell, 10ft x 12ft, in New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center. She has been there for 16 months. I don’t have the stamina. I am tired. My shoes are not fitting properly. They give me bad food. One of the apples contained maggots. “I have been denied the right to exercise. (Left, Ghislaine is seen in 2010, right. She has also lost some weight during her time in detention.
Ms Maxwell, despite her harsh surroundings, manages to smile. She describes how her hairdressing abilities impressed prison guards so much that they gave her paper-cutting tools and suggested that she open her own salon. (Above: The Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn).
Ms Maxwell, who faces the rest of her life behind bars if convicted of abusing and procuring young girls for billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein (above, with Ghislaine in 2005) – charges that she vehemently denies – claims that a ‘friendly rat’ routinely sat next to her on an open sewer as she went to the toilet
Ms Maxwell, who faces the rest of her life behind bars if convicted of abusing and procuring young girls for billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein – charges that she vehemently denies – claims:
- While she was using the toilet, a friendly rat sat alongside her every day on an open sewer.
- Because of the stares from ‘creepy’ guards, she stopped taking showers.
- Her mail was tampered with, and she was ‘purposely prevented’ from getting ready for trial. Vital evidence has also been given to her too late.
- Due to her persistent slur against her character, it has become so difficult for the jury pool to be fair that they believe it is impossible to give her a fair trial.
Many will argue that the woman who is accused of abusing young girls, including one as young as 14, should not be allowed to feel sympathy. Some will say that America’s justice system is cruel.
She is still innocent before the law.
The Ghislaine is now 59 years old and a vast improvement on the glamour woman she was. She was a regular fixture of the international social scene where she met with Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, and became close friends with Prince Andrew.
Designer outfits are being replaced today by the crippling overalls of Prisoner 02879-509.
Frederic Fekkai once styled her hair in a French-styled way. Her signature look is a streaked grey color that she created using toenail scissors and an eyeglasses.
She manages to smile despite her harsh surroundings.
But the harsh reality for a woman dubbed a ‘socialite’ – a term she fiercely objects to – has been what she describes as a living hell ever since more than 20 armed FBI agents swooped on her 156-acre, £800,000 New Hampshire home in July 2020.
Today’s Ghislaine, 59 years old, is far removed from the glamorous lady who once graced the international social scene. The designer clothes of today have been replaced with the inflexible overalls worn by prisoner 02879-509. (Above: Ghislaine and Epstein with Bill Clinton 1993
Maxwell’s trial is also going to bring Prince Andrew and Epstein’s relationships back into the public eye. Virginia Roberts, Duke of York’s accuser, claims that Andrew was sex-trafficked three times to her (the first being when she turned 17 years old and the second at the age of consent). Virginia has promised to be there. Andrew strongly denied the claims of Ms Roberts. The friendship he has with Ghislaine dates back many decades. He was famously photographed wearing his arm around Ms Roberts at the waist in Maxwell London’s mews house (above).
Since then, she has been kept in custody and survived on rice, beans and unsalted peanuts as protein and fat.
She was arrested 11 months after Epstein (her ex-boyfriend, and close friend) committed suicide while being charged with child sex. Maxwell was not facing criminal charges until Epstein committed suicide.
The lawyer for Epstein will argue that she is being penalized by proxy because someone has to pay.
Maxwell shared this with friends: “I fear that it will prove impossible to obtain a fair trial. I fear the media will spread negative stories about Maxwell and influence the outcome of my trial. Despite the fact that the evidence will prove that the jury didn’t know everything, it is a frightening thought.
“I’m looking forward to my chance to stand in front of the judge to show that I was not involved in Epstein’s crimes.
On the advice of her strong legal team, she is unable to discuss details of the case. The jury selection process begins tomorrow and will continue until November 29, when the trial starts. They are very serious charges. US authorities describe her as a “procurer” of minor girls in order to convict Epstein.
Additionally, she faces multiple felonies including transporting a child for criminal sexual activities and conspiring to induce minors to participate in illegal sex act.
Prince Andrew and Epstein’s relationships with Maxwell will be brought back to the forefront by Maxwell’s trial.
Virginia Roberts is the Duke of York’s accuser. She claims that Andrew was sex-trafficked three times to her (the first time when she was just 17 years old and the second at the age of consent). Virginia Roberts has promised to be there for the trial.
Andrew strongly denied the claims of Ms Roberts. The friendship he has with Ghislaine dates back many decades. He was photographed in Maxwell’s London mewshouse with his arm around the waist of Ms Roberts.
According to one lawyer involved in the case, Andrew will be back in the limelight. The women who testify against Maxwell won’t introduce his name, which is unimaginable. This must make him anxious.
Ghislaine is the Oxford-educated, disgraced newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell’s daughter. She was moved to Brooklyn in July 2013 and seen only by court sketch since. It is evident that she has lost 20 pounds in real life. Her skin is paler and her cheeks have turned yellow.
Virginia Roberts, Prince Andrew’s accuser is likely to be present at the trial. She may also give evidence. Maxwell has been described by her as “pure evil” and she said that Epstein was a sick paedophile, but Maxwell was his mastermind.She is seen leaving the US Federal Courthouse, NY in August 2019.
I first met Ghislaine in 1992 when I interviewed her mother, Robert Maxwell’s widow Betty, following the tycoon’s extraordinary death off the coast of Tenerife – just before it was discovered he plundered his newspapers’ pension funds.
Ghislaine, who had recently moved to New York City, joined her mother’s grieving family at the Plaza Hotel. Ghislaine looked beautiful. She was intelligent and articulate. She was also vulnerable. Evidently, she was a ‘Daddy’s Little Boy’ who is deeply grieving.
At the time, she told me she was living in a small studio on Manhattan’s Upper East side ‘given to me by a friend… Jeffrey’.
Her goal was to make more money by focusing on certain tasks. You must make money. As she stated it.
Her glamorous life continued as she moved between Epstein’s houses in Florida, New York, and the private Caribbean islands.
She also ended up owning a New York townhouse – which she sold for £12 million – and having a successful career including founding TerraMar, a charity focused on oceans.
I first met Ghislaine in March when Susan Zirinsky was the first female President of CBS News. She asked me to help with Ghislaine’s new documentary. The four-hour program will be broadcast on ITV UK, CBS-Paramount and at the conclusion of the six week trial.
Together with Erbil Gunasti my partner, we have interviewed Maxwell’s siblings Isabel and Kevin, as well as friends, and obtained quotes directly from Ghislaine.
According to her, “In my last court appearance I was in legirons for over 12 hours and had the task of climbing up and down stairs while my legs and arms were coiled to my waist.” My ankles hurt.
“I have been fed food so over-cooked that it looks like Chernobyl in the aftermath of nuclear disaster. Salads were wilted and covered in mould. An apple was stained with maggots. They also gave me a brown soggy banana. You could squeeze the bread out of its watery texture and it would come out.
‘I used take a shower almost every day, but now I don’t because of these creepy guards that stand near me and stare at my face the entire time.
According to one lawyer involved in the case, Andrew will be back in the limelight. His name will not be presented by Maxwell’s female witnesses. It is impossible. This must be something that he is afraid of.
“I would go to the bathroom with an open sewer line and a friend rat used to visit. After I had told guards about it, nothing was done. Then the rat came out of the sewer and confronted a guard. He screamed in fear. Finally the sewer drain was covered.
She says guards intimidate and harass her. On one occasion, she says she was accused of having illegal contraband after she spilled the painkiller Tylenol – prescribed by a prison doctor – on to the floor.
Her reading glasses also broke another time. The guard replied, “There’s nothing funny about this.” It’s my job to show you how it feels to be in prison. I was threatened by him with disciplinary actions that would have prevented me from speaking with my lawyers for at least a month.
‘I was also threatened by punishment when I used hair-ties to secure my legal papers.
According to an alleged victim, she’s “a beast in designer clothes.”
Ghislaine Maxwell is facing six charges, including the enticement and trafficking in minors. These cases carry maximum prison terms of 80 years.
She allegedly “facilitated and contributed” to Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of her children between 1994-2004.
Maxwell allegedly assaulted the youngest victim, who was only 14 years old at the time.
The indictment lists four women, including one British woman, although Annie Farmer, an American, has waived anonymity.
Farmer says Maxwell pretended to be a big sister before she molesting Maxwell at Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico in 1996. Maxwell, she said, was a sexual predator and has shown no remorse.
Ghislaine Maxwell was allegedly involved in the abuse of children perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein, her ex-boyfriend. This happened between 1994 and 2004.
Virginia Roberts, Prince Andrew’s accuser is likely to be present at the trial. She may also give evidence. She described Maxwell’s accuser Virginia Roberts as “pure evil”, saying that Epstein was a sick paedophile, but Maxwell was his mastermind.
An additional victim claimed that she believed she was the one who did it. [Maxwell]Mary Poppins, because she seemed like our friend and spoke in an English accent.
However, she was a beast in designer clothes. She lured us in. She understood exactly what was happening. She will surely die in hell.
Maxwell pleaded not guilty, and she has pledged to prove herself innocent. Maxwell claims that she has been used to make Epstein look bad. Epstein committed suicide August 2019.
According to one of the lawyers involved, “This will be an uphill fight right until the end.” Ghislaine is committed to proving she was innocent and will be available to cross-examine her if needed.
“She maintains her innocence and will prove to the world that she wasn’t guilty of any of these horrible crimes.
Trial will begin on November 29th and last for six weeks. Tomorrow marks the start of jury selection.
I was charged with being untidy and having ‘food and breadcrumbs’ all over my bed. It was necessary to show that the “food and crumbs” were not stains on my linens.
“I wash my clothes myself. Because the dryer sounds so loud, it has been nicknamed “Space Shuttle” because it makes it sound like it could take off. Both my legal and personal mail has been altered.
It took me a week for legal mail to reach me after it was hand-delivered from the jail, when the prison rules require that it be delivered in 24 hours.
“Most alarming of all was the fact that it contained a stamp for postage, which was missing when the envelope was delivered by hand. The envelope’s bottom was opened.
One time, she claims, she was frisked in what she considers too intrusive. ‘I was given an aggressive pat-down that was so violent, that my pants ended up where they belong. They gave me my first pair of underwear, which was a large granny pant. I could fit 5 people into them. The stains are not detailed, so I won’t go into detail.
‘When I pick up the phone to make a – perfectly legitimate – call, the guards rush towards me with such speed it leaves them breathless. They report on everything I do – in real time.’
Her prison experience has made her a dark comedian and given her a strange relationship with her captors.
One guard laughed at her joke and said: “Maxwell, the problem is that you aren’t a criminal!”
Her cooking lesson to guards is: “I offer a 5-day meal plan for only $10” [£7.50]The original price was $10, but I increased it to $15 after the pandemic. Out of town guards ask me for recommendations, including where I can get my favorite pizza and the best food trucks. They want to know what I am reading. I answer by sharing my top books.
They were very impressed that I had cut my hair by nail clippers. My hair was also quite straight. The mirror I had was 3in by 5. They gave me paper scissors as a reward and encouraged me to start a salon.
“I hide behind the pillars to play peek-aboo and then I join in with the guards. Everyone is always smiling.
“Then I perform a “monster move” where I raise both my hands and growl, and then they repeat it. We laughed.
“Mysterious” events led her to make an imaginary cellmate, even though she was in isolation from the beginning. A light is shining into her cell every fifteen minutes to check that she hasn’t self-harmed.
“Stranger things can happen. The shower will turn on when there is no one nearby, and the toilet flushes. The guards are alerted when this happens. I set up a “cellmate” named A-17, and whenever something unusual happens, I blame A-17.
However, her most severe complaint revolves around the lack of time she was given to plan for the six week trial.
If she is convicted of all charges, she will spend more than 80 years behind bars.
Maxwell claims she received computers that didn’t work and vital paperwork late. Maxwell also claimed that she had no desk for work while at work.
In the detention facility, she said that there was no presumption about innocence. “Pre-trial prisoners like myself, who are by law innocent until proven guilty are treated as if they have been convicted felons,” she stated. It’s illegal, unconstitutional and it’s not American. Are there any people who have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution?
It is her greatest fear that she will not be able to find impartial jurors. There is no shortage of coverage in the US about the case, which has led to her being called Epstein’s madam and Epstein’s socialite companion-in crime.
She disagrees: Being called a “socialite” is derogatory. It’s meant to cast me in a negative way. My entire career has been working, with part-time work since I was 15 years old. I would never call a man with similar work experience a socialite. It is overwhelming to feel sad and shocked at these unbelievable and false narratives. They are completely fabricated and have no connection with reality.
“I am afraid that the negative media coverage of my case will affect my jury pool, and the outcome of the trial. This is despite all the evidence I believe will support my innocence. It is my pleasure to have the opportunity to testify in court that I did not participate in Epstein’s crimes. I am innocent.’
Ghislaine is a documentary Daphne Barak has made with Fremantle Media. It will air on ITV after the trial’s six weeks. Struggling For One America – Trump V Hollywood, by Daphne Barak and Erbil Gunasti, is published by Skyhorse, priced £17.99.
Maxwell could face a maximum sentence of 80 years imprisonment if she is found guilty of procuring and abusing young girls for Jeffrey Epstein, her ex-boyfriend. (Pictured : Maxwell in an artist’s drawing being taken to the courtroom on November 1st)
Struggling for One America – Trump v Hollywood, by Daphne Barak and Erbil Gunasti is published by Skyhorse, price $24.99
Go to www.og2d.com to find out more about Ghislaine’s courtroom drama and trial.
(Associated Newspapers does not accept responsibility for third-party website content.
Ghislaine will air on ITV, CBS-Paramount Plus and Freemantle after the trial’s six weeks.
Daphne Barak, a writer, filmmaker, and TV producer, has secured interviews for a remarkable list of world leaders over the last two decades. These include Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa as well as Fidel Castro, Fidel Castro, and Donald Trump. There are also showbusiness giants like Eric Clapton, Andrea Bocelli, and Amy Winehouse. Barak’s books, including Saving Amy, are a detailed account of Amy Winehouse’s life and struggles before she died. The book will soon become a Hollywood movie. Later this month, Daphne will share her story about why she agreed to make the Winehouse movie.
www.daphnebarak.com