Ghislaine Maxwell's Famous Acquaintances

The following article contains references to sexual abuse.

How the mighty fall. Seemingly overnight, Ghislaine Maxwell went from society gal sipping champagne with A-listers at lavish events to fugitive on the run. Jeffrey Epstein's closest confidante and right hand woman, Maxwell allegedly procured young girls for the financier to abuse, and apparently engaged in the illicit acts herself. In 2022, Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking and sentenced to 20 years in prison. As prosecutors argued, Maxwell used the veneer of being a "posh, smiling, respectable, age-appropriate woman" to groom victims, per The New Yorker. Now that the world knows who Maxwell really is, those who were once associated with her cower in fear of their alleged indiscretions getting exposed, or being accused of guilt by association (most, however, outright deny any knowledge of her manifold wrongdoings).

Numerous stars have been snapped mingling with Maxwell and, undoubtedly, posing next to the disgraced socialite does not make said celebs complicit — or, indeed, aware — of her crimes. Nevertheless, it seems unfathomable that just a few years ago the rich and famous were perfectly content to grin alongside someone who has since been categorized as a monster. The amount of stars who were drawn into Maxwell's orbit is truly staggering. As Grazia notes, "Ghislaine Maxwell appears to be one of the most connected women in the A-list world."

Politicians, rockstars, supermodels, and even members of the royal family once counted themselves among Maxwell's A-list connections. As these erstwhile associates seek to distance themselves from the convicted sex trafficker, let's uncover Ghislaine Maxwell's famous acquaintances.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

One of Ghislaine Maxwell's closest friends, Prince Andrew first met the socialite when she was studying at Oxford University in the '80s, per BBC "Newsnight." The pair hit it off and were photographed together numerous times. In 1999, Prince Andrew flew with Maxwell on Epstein's private jet, per the Mirror, and would continue to do so on more occasions in 2000 and 2001. Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who alleged that Andrew abused her when she was a teenager, claimed that Maxwell orchestrated these encounters and also participated in the abuse: "Maxwell's role was as the 'madame.' She assumed a position of trust for all the girls ... She had sex with under age girls ­virtually every day I was around her." 

The following year, Maxwell and Epstein celebrated Andrew's birthday at Windsor Castle, per the Daily Mail. Also that year, Andrew attended a party at Maxwell's London home, where he was photographed with his arm around Giuffre in a now infamous snap. Andrew denied that he ever engaged in sexual misconduct. In his disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019, Andrew dissociated himself from Maxwell (though he did admit that he had last spoken to her earlier that year). "If there are questions that Ghislaine has to answer, that's her problem I'm afraid," he stated.

When Andrew sought to distance himself from her, Maxwell was distraught. "I accept that this friendship could not survive my conviction," she told The Sun. "He is paying such a price for the association. I consider him a dear friend. I care about him."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

In the early '90s, writer Christina Oxenberg (who is a distant cousin of Prince Andrew) was one of Ghislaine Maxwell's many high profile acquaintances, but she has since shunned the socialite. Though she once knew Maxwell closely, and even asked if she could work with her on one occasion, Oxenberg has become one of the socialite's most vocal detractors.

In her book "Trash: Encounters with Ghislaine Maxwell," an excerpt of which was published by Avenue Magazine, Oxenberg describes Maxwell as an avaricious individual who sought celebrity clout at every corner. She blamed the unwritten rules of high society etiquette for the myriad photos circulating of herself posing with Maxwell, leading many to assume the duo were besties, which Oxenberg insists they were not. "I do not know of anyone in 2013 who remonstrated openly and refused to have their photograph taken with Ghislaine," she explained. "Of course, we all should have, and the social norms of New York polite society have a lot to answer for. But, things as they were, we would never have declined."

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Oxenberg said that she cooperated with the FBI during their investigation into Maxwell's sex trafficking. On one particularly unsettling occasion, Oxenberg recalled, Maxwell even confessed to her. "We were alone. She said many things," she recounted. "All creepy. Unorthodox. Strange. I could not believe whatever she was saying was real. Stuff like: 'Jeffrey and I have everyone on videotape!'"

Kevin Spacey may have been found not liable in Anthony Rapp's sexual abuse lawsuit, but the actor continues to be dogged by his association with Ghislaine Maxwell. During his time with Maxwell, the Oscar-winner was treated like a king. Quite literally. A report by The Telegraph revealed that Maxwell and Spacey were invited to Buckingham Palace by Prince Andrew in 2002. There, they were photographed sitting on thrones reserved for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. "They were larking about on the thrones, doing regal waves," a source said. "Ghislaine sat on the Queen's throne with Spacey pretending to be the Duke of Edinburgh."

When the images of the pair surfaced, the brazen act was viewed as an affront to the Queen, seeing as the thrones are usually cordoned off with rope to protect them from visitors. "They are not something that anyone would be expected to sit in," People editor Michelle Tauber explained. "They are considered historic artifacts, so it's not something that would be in any way an appropriate use of the thrones regardless of who you are — unless you happen to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip."

In addition to day trips to Buckingham Palace, Spacey reportedly joined Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein on the latter's private plane. Testifying in Maxwell's 2021 trial, Epstein's pilot, Larry Visoski Jr., said that he flew Spacey on the plane that has been dubbed the "Lolita Express," per the New York Post. However, he claimed he never witnessed any illegal activity.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

In a career spanning 60 years, Mick Jagger has socialized with more A-listers than he can likely remember. Somewhat inevitably for a rockstar of his caliber, he's been snapped partying with Ghislaine Maxwell, per Daily Beast. But the relationship between Maxwell and Jagger seems to date back to the early '90s. The website Dafydd Jones shows a young Maxwell mingling with Jagger and fashion guru Suzannah Constantine (of Trinny and Suzannah fame) in London back in 1991, which also happens to be the year Maxwell moved to New York, per The Guardian.

It is unclear how the pair first became acquaintances, but it would seem that, as with many other Epstein associates, Maxwell's social privilege enabled her to bring powerful people into the businessman's inner circle. As Vanity Fair notes, Jagger was among a multitude of celebrities featured in Epstein's little black book. "It is a mosaic of Epstein's social contacts," journalist Nick Bryant explained. 

As detailed in the book "A Convenient Death: The Mysterious Demise of Jeffrey Epstein" (via the Daily Mail), Jagger allegedly engaged in an orgy on Epstein's plane in 2002. The shady financier then apparently attempted to coax Bill Clinton into participating in the rock star's orgy, though he declined. This allegation has not been corroborated and Jagger has not commented on the nature of his relationship with Maxwell or Epstein. Like many other A-listers, he may have been sucked into their orbit without any knowledge of their nefarious deeds.

Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo is another politician who has been linked to Ghislaine Maxwell. Christina Oxenberg, Maxwell's frenemy, claims in her book "Trash: Encounters With Ghislaine Maxwell" that the fallen socialite attended the wedding of Cuomo and Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, per The Sun. However, Oxenberg suggested that it was probably Kennedy, not Cuomo, who had invited Maxwell to the gathering. In fact, Oxenberg said that Kennedy and Maxwell were so close that she was one of a few elite guests who were invited to a private post-wedding luncheon. "And it was when the guests were all milling amiably before lunch and standing around between Hickory Hill House and the tent that I first met her," she recalled. "I was standing with my then-husband ... when Ghislaine sauntered over."

But Oxenberg insists that Cuomo was not complicit in abuse, despite his association with Maxwell. "I never saw AC behave inappropriately," she insisted. "If anything he was extremely unfriendly at Kennedy family events." Indeed, Cuomo called out Epstein, and those who sought to protect him, in 2020, tweeting, "No matter how rich, how big or how powerful an institution you are, predatory behavior of any kind will not be tolerated in New York." In spite of his impassioned tweets, Cuomo was one of numerous individuals listed in Epstein's little black book, and the governor has since faced a slew of sexual assault accusations himself, which he denies, per The New York Times.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).