Maxwell's Brother Launches Extraordinary Defence of Prince Andrew
Ian Maxwell, the 69-year-old brother of convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, has launched a shameless defence of both his imprisoned sister and Prince Andrew in a controversial interview with The Telegraph. The businessman made the extraordinary claim that his sister is "on the right side of history" while branding Jeffrey Epstein's victim Virginia Giuffre as "a monster."
Defending the Disgraced Duke
Speaking on the same day that Prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, Mr Maxwell acknowledged the former duke's behaviour was "sleazy" but launched a fierce attack on the royal family for leaving him "completely isolated." Describing Andrew as a "single man," he stated: "What he did or didn't do with various women was sleazy, humiliating for him and embarrassing for the royals. But there he is, kicked out of his home, completely isolated and unlike Ghislaine, he doesn't even have a supportive family."
Mr Maxwell noted that Andrew hasn't been charged with any sexual offence while seeming to criticise the royal family for not providing sufficient support. This comes after Andrew was stripped of all his royal titles and privileges over his links with convicted paedophile Epstein, before being evicted from his 30-room mansion Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate. On Thursday, he was arrested at his new home, Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, and held for approximately 11 hours before being released.
Ghislaine Maxwell's "Fall Guy" Claim
Turning to his sister, Mr Maxwell maintained her innocence in the interview, describing her as Epstein's "fall guy." The businessman and son of publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell claimed Ghislaine "would be free" if Epstein, who died in a New York prison cell in 2019, was still alive, adding her trial was not fair. Epstein's former lover was found guilty of five sex offences, including trafficking underage girls, in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in jail. She has since attempted to appeal her convictions multiple times without success.
Although her brother accepted that many young women were harmed by Epstein, he continues to argue that many were over the age of legal consent and therefore "have agency." Epstein has been accused of having girls as young as 14 trafficked around the world - with the help of Ghislaine - for him and others to sexually abuse.
Attacking Virginia Giuffre
Mr Maxwell even went as far as to claim that "feminists" should support his sister because of her "abysmal" treatment. "I believe my sister is on the right side of history," he added. The businessman also branded Andrew's most prominent accuser, Virginia Giuffre, a "monster" and claimed she lied about being sexually abused.
Andrew reached a reported £12 million out of court settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022 in which he admitted no wrongdoing. She maintained that she had been trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell and forced to have sex with the then-Duke on three occasions when she was 17, including in Ghislaine's London townhouse and on the financier's private island. Ms Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025, aged 41, leaving behind three children.
"I know who the monster is here and it's not my sister, it's Virginia Giuffre and her falsehoods that have had devastating ramifications for Ghislaine," Mr Maxwell said. "I didn't shed a tear when she died."
Contradictory Evidence Emerges
Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing in his associations with Epstein. In his infamous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis in 2019, he denied ever meeting Ms Giuffre and implied a photograph of the two of them together might have been doctored. However, emails from the latest Epstein files contradict his claims.
The Daily Mail revealed earlier this month how sex offender Maxwell stated "for the record as fact" that she had not just introduced Andrew to Ms Giuffre, but the image was taken in her home that same night. In a series of 2015 emails released in a tranche of more than three million Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, disgraced socialite Maxwell had sent Epstein an email asking for his approval.
She had drafted a statement designed to hit back at claims in the press, which stated: "In 2001 I was in London when (redacted) met a number of friends of mine including Prince Andrew. A photograph was taken as I imagine she wanted to show it to friends and family." In the body of the email, she added: "I am stating for the record as fact" before continuing: "Prince Andrew came to my house to visit me - (redacted) was in the house and they did meet." It is believed the redactions refer to Ms Giuffre.
Vindication for the Victim
Sky Roberts, Ms Giuffre's brother, told BBC Newsnight that the correspondence "truly does vindicate" his sister. "It shows that not only was she not lying this entire time, even though many people across multiple countries indicated that she was, she was telling the truth."
As for his sister's future, Mr Maxwell vowed to continue fighting to have her convictions overturned - and suggested she could write "an amazing book" about her experiences. The interview represents one of the most extraordinary defences of convicted sex offenders in recent memory, coming from the brother of a woman serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking.
