Ghislaine Maxwell

British socialite and criminal, daughter of Robert Maxwell

Ghislaine Noelle Marion Maxwell (/ˌɡˈln, -ˈlɛn/ ghee-LAYN, -⁠LEN; born 25 December 1961)[2] is a British former socialite and convicted sex offender. She is known as a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein. In December 2021, she was convicted of sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy and, in June 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison.[3]

Ghislaine Maxwell
Maxwell in 2007
Born
Ghislaine Noelle Marion Maxwell

(1961-12-25) 25 December 1961 (age 62)
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom
France
United States[1]
EducationOxford High School
Edgarley Hall
Headington School
Marlborough College
Alma materBalliol College, Oxford
Occupation(s)Socialite, businesswoman
Criminal statusIncarcerated
Spouses
Scott Borgerson
(m. 2016)
OrganisationTerraMar Project
Parents
Relatives
Conviction(s)
Criminal penaltySentenced to prison

Early life

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Maxwell was born in Maisons-Laffitte, Yvelines, Île-de-France. She is the youngest child of a French mother (Elisabeth Maxwell) and Czech-born British publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell. She grew up in Oxford, England. She has triple citizenship: American, British and French. She was a popular socialite in London in the 1980s.

Career

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She moved to the United States after her father drowned in 1991, where she continued as a socialite.

Maxwell founded the ocean-advocacy group The TerraMar Project in 2012. The organization announced it was closing on 12 July 2019, a week after the sex trafficking charges brought by New York federal prosecutors against Epstein became public.

Epstein relationship

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During the 1990s, Maxwell had a relationship with businessman and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After the relationship ended, they continued their association as friends. Maxwell faced allegations of sexually trafficking underage girls for Epstein and others, charges she denied.[4]

Sex trafficking trial and conviction

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On 27 December 2019, Reuters reported that Maxwell was among those under FBI investigation for helping Epstein.[5] Since Epstein's arrest, Maxwell has been in hiding, communicating with the courts only through her lawyers.[6]

On 12 March 2020, she filed a lawsuit in Superior Court in the U.S. Virgin Islands against Epstein's estate seeking compensation for her legal fees.[7][8]

On 2 July 2020, Maxwell was arrested by the FBI in Bradford, New Hampshire.[9]

In 2021, she was the defendant in a trial in the lower federal court system; On December 29, she was convicted on five counts related to the sex trafficking of a child and conspiracy.[10][11][12]

In July 2022, she appealed the verdict.

She is in jail (as of 2023).

[13][14]

References

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  1. Davis O’Brien, Rebecca; Paul, Deanna (2 July 2020). "Jeffrey Epstein Associate Ghislaine Maxwell Arrested on Federal Charges". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  2. Haines, Joe (1988). Maxwell. London: Futura. pp. 434 et seq. ISBN 0-7088-4303-4.
  3. Weiser, Benjamin; O’Brien, Rebecca Davis; Moynihan, Colin (2022-06-28). "Ghislaine Maxwell Receives 20 Years for Aiding Epstein in Sex Trafficking". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  4. Twohey, Megan; Bernstein, Jacob (15 July 2019). "The 'Lady of the House' Who Was Long Entangled With Jeffrey Epstein". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  5. Hosenball, Mark (27 December 2019). "Exclusive: FBI investigating British socialite and others who 'facilitated' Epstein". Reuters. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  6. Hill, James (30 January 2020). "Victims allege Ghislaine Maxwell is purposefully evading justice system". ABC News. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  7. Goldstein, Matthew (March 18, 2020). "Jeffrey Epstein's Ex, Ghislaine Maxwell, Sues His Estate for Legal Fees". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  8. "Ghislaine Maxwell sues Jeffrey Epstein's estate over legal fees". BBC News. March 19, 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  9. "Ghislaine Maxwell, Accused of Providing Girls for Jeffrey Epstein, Arrested in N.H." New Hampshire Public Radio. 2 July 2020. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  10. Hays, Tom; Neumeister, Larry (29 December 2021). "Ghislaine Maxwell convicted in Epstein sex abuse case". Associated Press. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  11. Cohen, Luc (2021-12-29). "Ghislaine Maxwell convicted of setting up girls for Epstein sex abuse". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
  12. del Valle, Lauren (2021-12-29). "Jury finds Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficked a minor for Jeffrey Epstein, guilty on five of six counts". CNN US. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
  13. "Ghislaine Maxwell's family begin appeal process after sex abuse verdict". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 30 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  14. "Ghislaine Maxwell's family launch appeal after sex abuse verdict". The Independent. 30 December 2021. Archived from the original on 30 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.

Other websites

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