Diana may have met Epstein, claims sex-trafficker Maxwell
What's the story
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein, has claimed that the late Princess Diana may have been introduced to Epstein at a London event. The event was reportedly organized by Diana's close friend, Rosa Monckton. In an interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche last month, Maxwell said she wasn't sure if they met but believed there were attempts to introduce them.
Connections
Maxwell denies introducing Epstein to royals
Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex-trafficking minors to Epstein, said before she met him, he was living in London and associated with "truly fancy people." She specifically named Monckton and her husband, journalist Dominic Lawson, as part of this circle. However, she denied ever introducing Epstein to the royals herself, calling such claims "a flat untruth."
Timeline
Diana died in 1997, but Maxwell suggested meeting happened later
Maxwell suggested the event happened in the early 2000s, but Princess Diana died in August 1997. The revelation comes amid renewed scrutiny of former President Donald Trump's ties to Epstein. Trump has dismissed author Michael Wolff's claim that he and Epstein competed over who would sleep with Diana first as "disgraced." First Lady Melania Trump also denied Wolff's allegation that she met Trump through Epstein.
Incarceration
Maxwell has sought a pardon from Trump
Maxwell is currently serving her sentence at a minimum-security prison in Texas. She has also sought a pardon from Trump. The Department of Justice has not independently verified her claims about a potential meeting between Epstein and Diana. Meanwhile, a United States federal judge has denied the Trump administration's request to unseal grand jury transcripts in the case against Ghislaine Maxwell.