Jeffrey Epstein threatened to "destroy the York family", according to a new claim from Sarah Ferguson's spokesman.
The Duchess of York has had a difficult three days ever since it emerged on Saturday evening that she emailed the late paedophile in 2011, calling him a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend”.
On Monday, the situation worsened when an avalanche of charities dropped the Duchess of York as their patron.
Now, Fergie's official spokesman, James Henderson, has issued a statement regarding the crisis, claiming the duchess only emailed Epstein after the late paedophile made a phone call threatening her with legal action.
Jeffrey Epstein 'threatened to destroy the York family' as Sarah Ferguson's aide speaks out
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Mr Henderson explained: “People don’t understand how terrible Epstein was. I can remember everything about that call.
“It was a chilling call, and I’m surprised anybody was ever friends with him, given the way he talked to me.
“He said he would destroy the York family, and he was quite clear on that. He said he would destroy me.
“He wasn’t shouting. He had a Hannibal Lecter-type voice. It was very cold and calm and really menacing and nasty.”
Maxwell (right) was jailed for 20 years in June 2022 for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse children | GETTYThe phone call came after Fergie, 65, said in an interview published in March 2011 that she had made a “terrible, terrible error of judgment” in accepting £15,000 from Epstein to pay off her debts, adding: “I abhor paedophilia.”
Mr Henderson claimed he saved Epstein’s phone number to make sure that if the sex offender ever called him again, he would know not to pick it up. It was the only conversation or exchange Fergie's spokesman ever had with him.
He added that it was understandable that Sarah sent the email apologising to Epstein, given the pressure of his threat to destroy her and her family’s lives.
The Duchess of York shares two daughters with Prince Andrew - Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice - who are now both in their mid to late thirties and married with children.
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew raised Beatrice and Eugenie in Ascot | PALATEST ROYAL NEWS:
Sarah Ferguson has been dropped by several charities where she served as patron | GETTYFergie's spokesman continued to tell the Telegraph: “He [Epstein] was very, very clear. He said, ‘I will destroy the family’. The pressure she was put under to protect her family must have been huge. I am sure there were legal actions.
“And this was long before the Duke’s life had been ruined by his association with Epstein. It was 14 years ago, and everyone will do what they have to do to protect their family.”
He added: “Her [the Duchess’s] family and children will always come first for her. That call was chilling.
“It was about two minutes long. But it was a two-minute threat in a Hannibal Lecter-type voice. I didn’t have anything to say to him.”