The Duchess of York allegedly sent an apology email to Jeffrey Epstein in 2011 after the disgraced financier threatened to “destroy her” in a phone call described as “Hannibal Lecter-style”, according to her then-spokesperson.
James Henderson, who was Sarah Ferguson's spokesperson at the time, told The Telegraph that Epstein was incensed by her description of him as a paedophile in a newspaper interview. Henderson recalled a “really menacing and nasty” phone call in which Epstein threatened legal action and said he would “destroy the York family”.
The email, reported by The Sun, was sent in April 2011 after Ferguson had publicly disowned Epstein. In it, she described him as a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend” and “humbly apologised” for criticising him publicly, acknowledging she was aware “you feel hellaciously let down by me”.
Several charities severed ties with the duchess on Monday after the emergence of her email, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, which dropped her as patron after 35 years. Others cutting relations included Julia’s House, Prevent Breast Cancer, the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, and the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals. The British Heart Foundation also confirmed she was no longer a serving ambassador.
Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.
