The FBI just arrested Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell

By Alma Fabiani

Published Jul 2, 2020 at 06:07 PM

Reading time: 1 minute

7399

Who is Ghislaine Maxwell?

Born in 1961 outside Paris, Ghislaine Maxwell is the daughter of late British media mogul Robert Maxwell. Maxwell studied at the University of Oxford and is said to speak several languages. She was mostly known as Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girlfriend, whom she dated  for a few years and then continued to work with long afterward, the Washington Post reports.

A well-connected socialite, Maxwell introduced Epstein to many of her wealthy and powerful friends, including Bill Clinton and the Duke of York (who was accused in the court papers of touching a woman at Jeffrey Epstein’s home).

What is Ghislaine Maxwell accused of?

Maxwell is accused of assisting Epstein’s abuse of minors by helping to recruit and groom victims while knowing they were underage. She was reportedly arrested in New Hampshire and is due in court next Thursday (9 July). Maxwell has previously denied any involvement in or knowledge of Epstein’s alleged sexual misconduct.

After getting arrested in New York City last year following allegations that he was running a sex trafficking network of underage girls, Epstein died in prison on 10 August as he awaited his trial. His death was ruled as suicide, but many theories were made about the possibility of it being a murder.

What are the exact charges made against Ghislaine Maxwell?

Four of the six charges made against Maxwell relate to the years 1994 to 1997, when Maxwell was one of Epstein’s closest associates, according to the indictment. The two other charges are allegations of perjury in 2016.

The indictment says 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.”

She is now charged with conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, as well as repeatedly lying when questioned about her conduct and relationship to some of the minor victims.

Maxwell allegedly attempted to befriend the minors by asking about their lives and families and then build friendships with victims by taking them to the cinema or shopping. While many of Epstein’s alleged victims have accused Maxwell of bringing them into his circle to be sexually abused by him and his friends, Maxwell has persistently denied any wrongdoing.

Keep On Reading

By Charlie Sawyer

UK government’s new murder prediction tool draws comparison to Tom Cruise film, Minority Report

By Charlie Sawyer

Pope picking 101: What actually happens during Conclave

By Abby Amoakuh

Enough founder Katie White and experts debate whether self-swab DNA kits are a breakthrough or a risk to rape justice

By Abby Amoakuh

From dinner parties to grocery flexing: Inside Gen Z’s new language of luxury

By Abby Amoakuh

Blake Lively faces backlash for calling herself Cherokee in resurfaced L’Oréal diversity ad

By Abby Amoakuh

Vogue and Gigi Hadid face backlash for producing a Hairspray homage without plus-sized models

By Abby Amoakuh

Francesca Farago reveals that influencers are being paid to participate in trend mocking Hailey Bieber

By Eliza Frost

Kylie Jenner now follows Timothée Chalamet on Instagram, but he doesn’t follow her back

By Charlie Sawyer

Why are people so upset about JoJo Siwa’s $900 Dream VIP package on her upcoming tour?

By Charlie Sawyer

Trump grants white South Africans refuge after ending legal protections for Afghans facing deportation

By Abby Amoakuh

Gwyneth Paltrow refused intimacy coordinators for sex scenes with Timothée Chalamet

By Charlie Sawyer

Everything you need to know about toxic gossip site Tattle Life and how its founder finally got revealed

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Mark Zuckerberg criticised as Meta allegedly censors abortion pill providers, raising Trump alliance fears

By Charlie Sawyer

How influencer Liv Schmidt promotes toxic eating habits through the Skinni Société 

By Abby Amoakuh

Gracie Abrams claps back at fans after they petition to replace Dora Jar as her opening act

By Charlie Sawyer

Casey Anthony is officially back in the spotlight. And she’s calling herself a legal advocate on TikTok

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Why do Gen Zers think KFC is using human meat? Unpacking the controversy behind the chain’s latest ad

By Charlie Sawyer

Trump administration announces plan to offer US immigrants $1,000 to self-deport

By Abby Amoakuh

Iraq legalises child marriage following proposal to lower age of consent to nine

By Charlie Sawyer

Will Greta Thunberg reach Gaza safely amid Israel’s aid blockade?