Ghislaine Maxwell’s Brother Defends Prince Andrew Amid Legal Troubles

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex offender, finds an unlikely defender in her brother, Ian Maxwell, who has recently spoken out in the media. In a surprising move, he voiced support for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor while simultaneously portraying Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, in a negative light.

At 69, Ian Maxwell has chosen to stand by his sister, a British socialite now serving a 20-year sentence in the United States for child sex trafficking and related offences. His remarks appear to be a mix of familial loyalty and controversial opinion, as he attempts to recast his sister’s narrative.

On the day of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office, Ian Maxwell commented on the former prince’s situation. Acknowledging Andrew’s past actions as ‘sleazy,’ he criticized the Royal Family for their lack of support, leaving the former prince in isolation.

Maxwell described Andrew, now 66, as a ‘single man’ navigating a challenging and humiliating situation. He lamented how Andrew was ousted from his home and left without the support of his family, contrasting this with Ghislaine’s situation. Despite her conviction, Ghislaine remains supported by her family, unlike Andrew, who Maxwell claims has been abandoned.

Ian Maxwell further emphasized that Andrew has not been charged with any sexual offences, a point he used to underline his criticism of the Royal Family for their apparent neglect of Andrew during his public struggles.

It 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 around 11 hours before being released.

Turning to his sister, Mr Maxwell seemed to maintain her innocence in the interview with the Telegraph, describing her as Epstein’s ‘fall guy’.

Ghislaine Maxwell’s brother said Andrew’s behaviour might have been ‘sleazy’ but that he is a ‘single man’ and hit out at the Royal Family for not offering him enough support (pictured: Andrew with accuser Virginia Giuffre and Maxwell)

Ghislaine Maxwell (left) is pictured with her parents, Robert and Elisabeth Maxwell

Ian Maxwell (pictured), 69, has launched a shameless defence of his sex offender sister Ghislaine in which he said she was on ‘the right side of history’

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 that 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.

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. 

Maxwell, 64, was convicted of sex trafficking of minors and other offences at a trial in 2021

Ghislaine Maxwell wrote a draft statement which she sent to the paedophile financier Epstein, confirming that she had introduced Andrew to Giuffre when she was a teenager 

Andrew reached a reported £12million 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.’ 

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. 

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.

But 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.

Maxwell’s brother claimed she was the ‘fall guy’ for Epstein after he died while awaiting trial in 2019 

Ms Giuffre (pictured) died by suicide in April 2025, aged 41, leaving behind three children 

In a series of 2015 emails released in a tranche of more than three million Epstein-related documents, disgraced socialite Maxwell had sent him 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. 

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.’