Epstein ‘bankrolled Sarah Ferguson for 15 years’ and she ‘took daughters to celebrate his release from prison in US’ astonishing emails claim

The allegation that Jeffrey Epstein secretly provided money to Sarah Ferguson for 15 years has raised eyebrows with the new email allegation.

The convicted pedophile complained to friends about the disgraced duchess’s devious behavior in messages suggesting her financial support went far beyond the £15,000 he admitted receiving from her.

In previously unseen emails, Epstein reveals Fergie was so desperate to get close to him that she ‘was the first one to celebrate his release from prison’ with their two daughters. Princess Beatrice was 20 at the time and Eugenie was 19; meaning he was the same age as most of his victims.

The shocking allegations are contained in numerous documents being reviewed by the US Congress. They will be released after being issued to protect the identities of hundreds of young girls who were raped and sexually assaulted by Epstein.

The sordid nature of Fergie’s relationship with the pedophile and the intimate tone of her correspondence make for sickening reading that will disgust many victims of the sex offender.

Emails seen by The Mail on Sunday show:

• Fergie begged to borrow $50,000 to $100,000 to help with ‘small bills’;
• He wanted to visit Epstein’s private island and joked that his financial troubles had made it ‘out of reach of bankrupts.’
• Epstein paid the duchess’s debts to a former employee but became angry when she did not pay him back as promised;
• While Fergie publicly disavowed Epstein, she kept in touch and allowed him to help start a charity for her;
• Epstein brazenly gave Fergie ‘talking points’ before interviewing Oprah Winfrey.

Convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein financed the former duchess for 15 years (captured in prison mugshot in 2017)

A well-placed source said tonight: ‘Sarah and Prince Andrew have always maintained they stayed away from Epstein following his conviction for child prostitution. In fact, it was Epstein who abandoned them. He was sick and tired of Sarah constantly asking him for money.

‘He borrowed more money from her than has ever been repaid. ‘He was saying one thing in public, but in private he was always passing the begging bowl.’

Last month the MoS revealed Fergie had written a letter to Epstein claiming she would “never have anything to do” with the sex offender again, just weeks after he gave an interview, reigniting the scandal that saw her and Andrew relinquish their titles on Friday.

In a London Evening Standard interview on 7 March 2011, Fergie issued a ‘heartfelt apology’ for accepting £15,000 from Epstein, calling it a ‘massive error of judgement’.

The comment angered the financier, who later that day emailed his friend, French modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, complaining: ‘The duchess, whom I have helped financially for 15 years, has said she wants nothing to do with a pedophile and child sexual abuser. ‘It caused quite a stir.’

Brunel was later arrested on rape charges and killed himself in prison in 2022, three years after Epstein’s suicide in prison.

Epstein demanded that Fergie write him a public apology letter regarding the interview and threatened to sue her if she did not.

The email tranches contain various drafts of the letter. One read: ‘Dear Jeffrey, I just wanted you to know for certain that much of what was attributed to me in the press was either a complete malicious fabrication or an outrageous exaggeration… There was never any allegation of pedophilia… You were a loyal friend of my family for many years.’

The sordid nature of Fergie’s relationship with the pedophile and the intimate tone of her correspondence make for sickening reading that will disgust many victims of the sex offender.

A well-placed source said: ‘Sarah and Prince Andrew always maintained they stayed away from Epstein following his conviction for child prostitution’ (pictured together in Central Park in 2011)

Email exchanges between Fergie and Epstein give some indication of their cordial relationship

The denial of pedophilia was based on Epstein’s insistence that the crime for which he was originally punished – having sex with a 16-year-old – would not be illegal in the UK, where the age of consent is 16. However, in Florida, where some crimes were committed, this age was 18.

In another email dated 7 April 2011, Epstein insisted again that Fergie ‘should have stated positively that she had been misquoted’ in the Standard.

He wrote to the British lawyer Paul Tweed: ‘[Fergie] He rented apartments in New York. She was the first person to celebrate my release with her two daughters. visited me [a] The police are sitting at my front desk. ‘He asked for help with charities.’

He revealed that he had bought the website called Mother’s Army for himself, adding: ‘My purchase would have caused problems if it had been exposed by the leaking staff.’

On April 25, Fergie revealed that she dragged her daughter into her dirty world. He told Epstein that he spoke to Beatrice immediately after her interview with the Standard and then called Geordie Greig, the editor who handled it, and told him ‘There is no way… she should have gone to P’. [paedophile] route’. He said he wanted to ‘make sure he understood the seriousness of not making mistakes.’

The emails provide further evidence that Fergie continued to fawn over Epstein despite his apparent disavowal of her. On August 1, 2011, Epstein wrote: ‘When you first got into trouble you said to me: ‘Jeffrey, I know like I tell everyone, you’re either on the team or you’re off the team. ‘I always knew he was on my team.’ That was true.” The Duchess replied: ‘I am yours and you are mine. With great love and strength.’

Earlier emails show how close the pair were despite Epstein admitting to soliciting an underage child for prostitution as part of a ‘sweetheart deal’ that led to his one-day release from a low-security prison for 13 months.

He was released in July 2009 and remained under house arrest until July 21, 2010. During this time, he exchanged several emails with Fergie. In June 2010, Sarah told Epstein: ‘I will never forget your kindness and friendship this time,’ and he replied: ‘A team or no team. This is your line.”

It was revealed that Epstein cheekily gave ‘talking points’ before being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey (image taken on the show in 2011)

Last month, the MoS revealed that Fergie wrote a letter to Epstein claiming she would “never have anything to do with it” again, calling him a “sublime friend”, just weeks after giving an interview (Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral in September 2025)

On January 16, 2010, Sarah wrote: ‘Any chance I can borrow $50 or $100,000 to get through the little bills that are weighing me down? ‘I had to ask.’

Epstein’s bank accounts were being monitored at the time and he said he could not help. ‘Ask Giuseppe… I’d be very grateful,’ Sarah told him decisively. Epstein replied: ‘I could, but that would be rude. You need to solve these problems. You are great.’

This is thought to be a reference to New York restaurant owner Giuseppe Cipriani, an old friend of the duchess. Tonight his representative refused to say whether Mr Cipriani had given money to Fergie.

It is known that Epstein gave Fergie £15,000 to repay a loan she received from her former personal assistant John O’Sullivan. On January 20, 2011, Epstein told Prince Andrew he had paid O’Sullivan, writing: ‘JS is complete.’ Andrew replied: ‘Great!!! Thank you. Thank you.’ Emails show Mr O’Sullivan is seeking a further $60,000 in unpaid wages. In an email to Andrew on February 28, 2011, Epstein wrote: ‘I don’t trust him at all and a payment from me… if released to the press would look like payback for these little scumbags.’

Andrew asked Epstein: ‘Am I going to get someone else to pay for this?’ to which the financier replied ‘Yes’.

It is not yet known whether this payment was made or not, and if so, by whom. Mr O’Sullivan did not respond to a request for comment.

A few months later and after the Standard interview, an impatient Epstein asked Fergie for the money back, saying: ‘There is little reason to question me again and again about this.’

A source said tonight: ‘Andrew and Sarah were up to their necks in it with Epstein. It was always about money. This was always going to be their downfall.’

A spokesman for Sarah Ferguson tonight declined to comment.