Industry Actress Confirms Character's Ghislaine Maxwell Inspiration
Marisa Abela, the Bafta-winning star of the BBC financial drama Industry, has revealed that her character Yasmin Kara-Hanani's storyline is "loosely inspired" by convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. The 29-year-old actress, who won Best Actress at last year's Baftas for her role in the BBC drama, made the disclosure in a recent interview, drawing clear parallels between the fictional heiress and the notorious Maxwell.
Parallels Between Fiction and Reality
In Industry, Abela portrays Yasmin Kara-Hanani, the heiress to a powerful publishing empire established by her wealthy father Charles Hanani, played by Adam Levy. The dramatic third series saw Charles' body discovered in the Mediterranean Sea after apparently falling from his luxury yacht, which was named after his daughter Yasmin.
Abela has now confirmed these plot elements directly mirror aspects of Ghislaine Maxwell's life, whose father Robert Maxwell died in 1991 after falling from his own luxury vessel, the Lady Ghislaine. The publishing magnate connection provides another striking similarity between the fictional character and real-life figure.
Character Development and Power Dynamics
In Industry's latest series, Yasmin's storyline takes dramatic turns as she navigates London's cutthroat financial world. Her husband Henry, portrayed by Kit Harington, serves as CEO of fintech startup Tender, while Yasmin discovers that co-founder Whitney, played by Max Minghella, has hired executive assistant Hayley from an escort agency.
This character, brought to life by Kiernan Shipka, is used to sleep with and subsequently blackmail powerful figures within the show's financial landscape. When questioned by Vulture about comparisons between Whitney and Yasmin's dynamic and that of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, Abela acknowledged the intentional parallels.
"The fact that Yasmin's father was a publishing tycoon and died on a boat called the Lady Yasmin, all of these things are [part of it]," Abela explained, confirming the deliberate connections to Maxwell's biography.
Maintaining Distance from Real Horrors
Despite these clear inspirations, Abela emphasized maintaining separation between her character and the real-life Epstein accomplice. "It felt loosely inspired by something that is so prevalent in the media," she stated, adding that she consciously avoided drawing too close a parallel to Maxwell's crimes.
"Things were unfolding with the files even as we were filming, but especially now, the whole topic is horrifying and disgusting and very real [so] that I'm very glad I didn't draw too close a parallel," Abela revealed, referencing the ongoing revelations about Epstein's network.
The actress described Yasmin as a young woman who has "never been able to get a foothold on the feeling of safety or power" but now finds herself with "intense proximity to power"—a characterization that echoes aspects of Maxwell's own relationship with influence and privilege.
Real-World Context and Recent Developments
Ghislaine Maxwell received a 20-year prison sentence in 2022 for child sex trafficking offenses related to her involvement with Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein himself died in prison by suicide in 2019 at age 66, having been accused of operating a "vast network" of underage girls for sexual exploitation.
Recent developments have seen over three million files released by the US Department of Justice this February, revealing the extensive reach of Epstein's network among high-profile figures. The documents show Epstein was invited to Buckingham Palace by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and sent thousands to Lord Peter Mandelson for his husband's osteopathy course.
Mandelson has since admitted to a "lapse in judgment" regarding the funding, stating: "In retrospect, it was clearly a lapse in our collective judgment for Reinaldo to accept this offer. At the time it was not a consequential decision."
Abela's revelations about her Industry character's inspiration come against this backdrop of continuing revelations about the Epstein-Maxwell case, highlighting how real-world scandals continue to influence contemporary television drama.
