NEW YORK (AP), Ghislaine Maxwell lived the first half her life with her father. He was a rags to riches billionaire who robbed his pension funds and died a mysterious death. The second half of her life she shared with Jeffrey Epstein, a tycoon who was charged with sexually assaulting teenage girls and committed suicide.
After a life filled with scandal and luxury Maxwell’s next act is set for a U.S. court.
Prosecutors in New York will start Monday by arguing that Maxwell, 59 was secretly aiding Epstein’s crimes against girls as young 14-year-olds while she was enjoying cocktails with Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and Donald Trump.
Jurors need to know if Maxwell was an unwitting pawn in Epstein’s manipulations, or an opportunist that knew everything about Epstein’s sex crimes.
Ian Maxwell claims that his sister has been railroaded by the U.S. Criminal Justice System with the intent to hold someone accountable for Epstein’s crime.
He told The Associated Press, “And she’s paying a heavy cost, a blood price.”
Ghislaine Maxwell was raised at Headington Hill Hall. This 51-room English country house was where politicians, business leaders, and newspaper editors enjoyed lavish parties punctuated with fireworks and trumpeters. BBC images show Ghislaine Maxwell as a child, carrying a small plate of food and wearing a party dress. She is learning how to network well.
Jan Ludvik Hoch was her father. He was born Jan Ludvik Hoch. He fled the Holocaust and joined the British Army. He rose to the rank Captain and transformed himself into Robert Maxwell.
Maxwell used his military connections to purchase the rights to German scientific journals. This was the start of a publishing empire that eventually included the Daily Mirror, Britain’s largest tabloid newspaper, and Macmillan, the book publisher.
He was also a father to nine children, and twice was elected to Parliament. He was also known for his boorish behavior, bullying and disrespect of subordinates.
Maxwell’s youngest child, Ghislaine, was born on Christmas Day 1961. Michael, her brother, was left with severe brain damage in a car accident at 15 years old. He lived another seven years.
Elisabeth Maxwell was her mother. She wrote in her memoir, that Robert and she were so focused on their wounded son, that Robert’s baby girl was left out. Ghislaine was so neglected that she, at age 3, stood before her mother and declared, “Mummy! I exist!”
Elisabeth Maxwell said, “I was devastated,” in “A Mind of My Own”: My Life With Robert Maxwell. “And then, we all made a great deal of effort with her, fussing so much over her that she became spoiled. She is the only child I can truly say this about.
In the 1980s, while studying history at Oxford, Ghislaine Maxiwell started to make contacts, including Prince Andrew. He would invite her and Epstein, along with Epstein, to Windsor Castle and Sandringham. Sandringham is Queen Elizabeth II’s country estate.
After graduation, she worked in various roles for her father. She was 29 when her father bought the Daily News in an attempt to rival Rupert Murdoch, a media tycoon and New York Post owner.
Later that year, Robert Maxwell fell from his yacht (the Lady Ghislaine) in the Canary Islands. Some thought it was an accident while others believed it was suicide. His wealth would soon be revealed by investors as he had taken hundreds of millions from the pension funds of his companies to support his empire.
Ghislaine Maxwell, shortly after her father’s passing, was photographed sitting beside Epstein at a memorial at The Plaza Hotel.
John Sweney, a U.K journalist and creator of “Hunting Ghislaine” podcast, told the AP that he believes that after her father died, the monster she had found was a second one.
Sweeney stated that Robert Maxwell had stolen hundreds of millions from people who depended on his good word. Jeffrey Epstein was a darker figure and a worse person.
Ian Maxwell stated that his sister’s relationship to Epstein began after her family suggested she stay in the U.S., as the Maxwell name was “inthe dirt” at home. He said that she was forced to forge new friendships and make her own decisions in New York, amid the family’s financial and reputational woes.
Epstein was one of them. He was a former teacher who made his fortune through connections like the CEO of Victoria’s Secret, the parent company of lingerie retailer Victoria’s Secret.
“My father was a powerful, alpha male. Ian Maxwell stated that when you have such an experience, all the siblings and brothers have to deal with it. “Ghislaine was no different. However, it was clear to say, “Well, you know, the man dies and then she moves on to the next wealthy man.”
Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sworn to testify in a civil case, acknowledged she had a romantic relationship. However, she said that she became his employee later, and was responsible for hiring staff for six of his homes.
“I hired architects, decorators and assistants. I also hired cleaners, cleaners. Gardeners, pool-people, pilots. Maxwell stated that he had hired many people during an April 2016 deposition. Jeffrey needed adult massage therapists. This was a small part of my job. To my knowledge, every person who visited his house was an adult professional.
Epstein was arrested in Palm Beach in 2005 for allegedly hiring several underage girls to perform sex acts. Epstein pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 13 months imprisonment for procuring a minor for prostitution.
After years of civil litigation, Epstein and Maxwell were accused by women of sexual abuse. New York’s prosecutor revived the case, and Epstein was charged with sex traficking in 2019. However, he committed suicide in prison before he could stand trial.
Four women allege Maxwell recruited them to perform Epstein massages, which led to sexual abuse. One of the women was only 14 years old at the time. Prosecutors allege that Maxwell participated in sexual encounters at times and paid at least one accuser.
Annie Farmer claims she was 16 years old when she was lured to Epstein’s New Mexico ranch by pretending she was attending an event for college-bound student. She arrived to find that there were no other students. Maxwell, she claimed, tried to groom her by taking the teenager to the movies and shopping. He also gave her an uninvited massage.
Unless they are willing to come forward, the AP will not identify anyone who claims they were victims of abuse sexually. Farmer, a New York Times and ABC interviewee, has shared her stories with The New York Times and ABC. Maxwell, a U.S. citizen, U.K. citizen, and France resident, sought bail. Farmer requested that the judge deny her bail request, calling Maxwell a “psychopath”.
Farmer wrote a letter to court saying that she does not believe that any of the women she exploitation will be held accountable if she is released on bail. Farmer wrote to the court, “She has led a life of privilege and abused her power to live above the rules. Her long history of antisocial behavior would allow her to flee the country.
Virginia Giuffre has filed a civil lawsuit against Prince Andrew of Britain but is not part of the criminal case. She described Maxwell as a “Mary Poppins figure” who made young girls feel at ease as they were lured into Epstein’s web.
Giuffre claims she was 17 years old when she was taken to London by Maxwell to have sex at Maxwell’s home. According to her lawsuit, other encounters with Andrew took place at Epstein’s Manhattan and U.S Virgin Islands homes. Andrew denied the allegations.
Prosecutors claim Maxwell fled to hide after Epstein’s suicide. She moved into a New Hampshire gated home for $1 million with her husband, whose lawyers have withheld their identities — and wrapped her phone in foil to prevent hacking.
Maxwell was only protecting herself from the media, her lawyers claimed in court papers – a notion U.S. district Judge Alison J. Nathan dismissed.
Nathan repeatedly refused Maxwell bail because he considered the risk of Maxwell fleeing to be too high. Maxwell is now in a small cell at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, with a toilet and concrete bed. Ian Maxwell stated that Maxwell is keeping his sister from a fair trial by putting her in prison.
Ghislaine Maxill has been quiet about Epstein’s allegations for nearly two decades. However, in 2016, she deposed in civil case and said that she learned of the allegations against Epstein “like everyone else, like all the rest of the globe” when they were published in the papers.
She claimed that Epstein never received massages from anyone younger than 18 years old, and that she was not ever told by anyone that Epstein wanted sex.
“Never,” she declared.
Epstein is now gone, and there are no recordings of any alleged incidents from two decades ago. The trial will hinge on Maxwell’s denial and the women’s claims.
Soon, a jury will decide who it believes.
