When Prince Andrew's Ex-Wife Sarah Ferguson Regretted Taking £15,000 From Jeffrey Epstein To Clear Debts
Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson separated in the year 1992 and got divorced in 1996. Ferguson acknowledged taking £15,000 from the late sex offender to pay off her debts before the Duke of York became involved in the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein investigation. As per The Daily Mail, she opened up about her decision in 2011 calling it the "biggest mistake of her life", "I personally, on behalf of myself, deeply regret that Jeffrey Epstein became involved in any way with me," she said. "I abhor pedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf,' she told the Evening Standard back then. "I am just so contrite I cannot say. Whenever I can I will repay the money and will have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again."
Johnny O'Sullivan, Sarah's former assistant, received the money in exchange for his claim of £78,000 in unpaid dues and other liabilities. After speaking with Andrew's office about the affair, Epstein intervened and spoke directly with Mr. O'Sullivan. After Mr. O'Sullivan took £15,000, a larger restructuring of Sarah's £5 million in obligations was made possible. The Duchess of York defended her ex-husband over the Epstein scandal during the interview saying, "The duke is a man who does not know how to tell an untruth or behave dishonourably. There have been errors of judgment but nothing substantive has been done wrong by him, ever."
She continued, "The duke sorted out my debts and he and his office have been more than marvelous." She added: "Once again my errors have compounded and rebounded and also inadvertently impacted on the man I admire most in the world, the duke. He has supported me and come to my rescue again and again and there is absolutely nothing that I would not do for him."
"This makes it even more painful for me that what happened has been used by people to make his life more difficult. I would throw myself under the bus for him. It is in times of difficulty that the character shows itself. I am a fiery Irish redhead and I am to remain strong, fight strong, and try to do what is right. The duke is a man who does not know how to tell an untruth or behave dishonorably. There have been errors of judgment but nothing substantive has been done wrong by him, ever. I have made another huge error in my life in order to get debt-free but the duke and I are a united front on all that has happened over the last few days." Ferguson concluded, "He, my girls, and I are a unit who will always stick together even though we live separate lives."
