Lady Victoria Hervey’s quest to prove the innocence of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell has taken a disturbing turn.
The Marquess of Bristol’s sister, 48, who is a friend of Ghislaine, 62, is making a television documentary about the case.
But one of those she planned to interview was killed this summer.
‘There was a hiccup – my witness was murdered in July in Chicago,’ she tells me. ‘It was listed as a violent crime.’
The Marquess of Bristol’s sister declines to provide the name of the deceased, but says she has now put her project on hold as a result.
‘I’m taking a bit of time off, a little breather,’ she tells me at the Frieze London 2024: John Copeland and Katrin Fridriks private view at JD Malat Gallery in Mayfair, London. ‘I was talking to people with evidence, and one of them has been murdered.’
Ghislaine, who is the former girlfriend of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was found guilty on charges of enticement of minors and sex trafficking of underage girls. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence in a Florida prison.
Epstein was found dead in a US federal jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Ghislaine, like Lady Victoria, is a friend of Prince Andrew.
She lived in Los Angeles for two decades, but told me last year that she had to flee the United States.
‘It all started getting scary when I got involved with a new documentary about Ghislaine,’ she said. ‘A whistle-blower close to the girls for the past three years reached out to me, and I have been gathering evidence to support Ghislaine and Prince Andrew.
‘I have been working undercover and it’s dangerous. The powers that be over there know all about me. I even thought I was being followed. I was glad to get back to the UK. I just want this to be over and stop looking over my shoulder and get back to normal.’
The socialite added: ‘I’ve been writing to Ghislaine in prison and am in touch with Prince Andrew, but I can’t discuss him, although the Palace is fully aware of what’s going on.
‘It is delicate, but I think there is hope for Ghislaine.’