Ghislaine Maxwell may 'never' speak about Prince Andrew and his ties to her and Epstein, her friend told the BBC
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Darcy Schild
Jul 5, 2020, 01:59 IST
Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre, then known as Virginia Roberts, along with Ghislaine Maxwell. This photo was included in an affidavit where Giuffre claimed Prince Andrew directed her to have sex with him.Florida Southern District Court
Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested Thursday in New Hampshire on charges related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
On Saturday, the BBC's Radio 4 Today program featured an interview with Laura Goldman, who says she became friends with Maxwell in the 1990s in New York.
Goldman told the BBC that Maxwell had told her that she would "never" speak about Prince Andrew.
Prince Andrew stepped away from public royal duties as the Duke of York in November following an interview with "BBC Newsnight" where he spoke about his friendship with Epstein.
US prosecutors are urging Prince Andrew to provide information about Epstein and Maxwell.
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Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime girlfriend and confidante of Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested by the FBI on Thursday at a New Hampshire mansion.
"She's always told me that she would never, ever, say anything about [Prince Andrew]. You know, I think she felt that he was her friend and she was never, ever, going to say anything about him," Goldman told the BBC. "She really felt that in the '90s, when her father died, that Prince Andrew was there for her, in many ways."
Goldman added that she thinks Maxwell "knew she was coming to the end of the road."
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"Initially, she had told me that she had felt that she was going to be fine because of the immunity provision. But I think in recent months she saw the furor hadn't died," Goldman said. "You know, when Jeffrey initially died, she was relieved, she thought it was over. I don't think she understood. And listen, I applaud the victims. They have fought an uphill battle to get her immunity thrown out and I applaud them."
Prince Andrew has been urged by US prosecutors to cooperate with an investigation
Prince Andrew's interview was ridiculed in British news outlets. Critics pointed out the royal's excuses and backtracking, and some called it a "car crash" of a TV appearance.
"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 organizations and charities that I am proud to support," Prince Andrew wrote in a statement in November.
In his November statement, Prince Andrew said that he agreed to cooperate with "any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required."
According to the indictment, Maxwell is accused of grooming and helping to entice girls and young women who would then be directed to give Epstein massages and engage in sexual acts.
Maxwell has not only been accused of helping to lure in victims who were sexually abused by Epstein, but she also faces accusations of being an abuser herself. On Friday, an unnamed woman told Fox News that Maxwell had raped her more than 20 times when the victim was as young as 14 years old.
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Representatives for the Office of the Duke of York did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
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