Ghislaine Maxwell Claims Infamous Picture of Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre Is 'Fake'

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Ghislaine Maxwell has claimed that a widely published photo of Prince Andrew with his arm around Virginia Roberts Giuffre is a "fake."

The 61-year-old British socialite made the allegation in a new interview from jail, airing on TalkTV in the U.K. on Monday. Maxwell spoke with broadcaster Jeremy Kyle for the special "Ghislaine Behind Bars" from a federal prison in Florida, where she is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in sex trafficking girls alongside disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

In a preview shared to Twitter by Jeremy Kyle Live, Maxwell said she was "sure" the infamous photo of Prince Andrew and Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse in a lawsuit later settled out of court, was doctored. Maxwell is also in the image, which The Guardian reports was taken in 2001, standing behind them and smiling.

Referencing "the fake" photo in the interview snippet, Maxwell said, "I don't believe it's real for a second. In fact, I'm sure it's not. There's never been an original, and further, there is no photograph. I've only ever seen a photocopy of it."

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Prince Andrew, 62, has similarly claimed that the picture was doctored. In his sit-down with the BBC in November 2019, the Duke of York claimed he had "no recollection" of meeting Giuffre and "absolutely no memory of that photograph being taken."

Backlash erupted after "Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal: The Newsnight Interview" aired, and Andrew stepped back from his public duties a few days later.

"It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family's work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support," Prince Andrew said at the time. "Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission."

Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew in August 2021, alleging she was trafficked by Epstein (who was found dead in prison while awaiting trial for sex trafficking in August 2019) and forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions between 1999 and 2002, when she was a teenager.

Alexander Koerner/Getty; Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Prince Andrew; Virginia Roberts Giuffre

"Today my attorney filed suit against Prince Andrew for sexual abuse under the Child Victims Act. As the suit lays out in detail, I was trafficked to him and sexually abused by him," Giuffre said at the time, in a statement shared with PEOPLE.

"I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. 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," she added.

Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. In September 2021, his attorney Andrew B. Brettler of Lavely & Singer defended his client's innocence at a virtual hearing, describing Giuffre's lawsuit as "baseless, non-viable and potentially unlawful."

Separately, Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking in connection with Epstein in December 2021 and sentenced to prison in June 2022.

Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2005

In January 2022, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan refused to grant the royal's motion to dismiss the case because of a $500,000 settlement reached between Giuffre and Epstein in 2009.

The day after, Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth had stripped her son of his military titles and patronages amid the sexual assault lawsuit

"With The Queen's approval and agreement, The Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen," the palace said in a statement.

"The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen."

Chris Jackson/WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Andrew

The following month, it emerged that Prince Andrew and Giuffre reached an out-of-court settlement in her sexual assault lawsuit. According to documents filed in New York by David Boies, Giuffre's attorney, the two parties planned to file a dismissal upon Giuffre's receipt of the settlement, the amount of which was not disclosed. The attorneys' joint statement did not address the question of Prince Andrew's liability.

"Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights," the document stated. "Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks."

It continued, "It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims."