Rhiannon Ingle
Unsealed court documents claim sex tapes were taken of Prince Andrew and others by Jeffrey Epstein.
One of Epstein's victims claimed sex tapes were taken of the Duke of York, former US president Bill Clinton and billionaire businessman Sir Richard Branson, court documents have disclosed.
Sarah Ransome, who gave a victim impact statement ahead of the sentencing of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell for sex-trafficking, appeared to write communications claiming the three were filmed by the paedophile financier.
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Speaking on behalf of Branson, a Virgin Group spokeswoman said: "In a New Yorker report published in 2019, Ransome admitted that she had ‘invented’ the tapes.
"We can confirm that Sarah Ransome’s claims are baseless and unfounded."
Indeed, the New Yorker's Connie Bruck says Ransome told her she invented the tapes to trick Epstein into thinking she had 'evidence that would come out if he harmed me'.
The extracts were later flagged by a firm representing Epstein’s lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, to demonstrate Ms Ransome 'manifestly lacks credibility'.
Prince Andrew stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with Epstein, and paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Virginia Giuffre, a woman he claimed never to have met.
He was cast out of the working monarchy and no longer uses his HRH style after Ms Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.
The duke fervently denies any wrongdoing.
A US judge ordered hundreds of documents to be unsealed as part of Ms Giuffre’s previously settled civil claim against Maxwell, which was filed in 2015.
Addressing the claims about Prince Andrew and Mr Branson in the document released as part of another tranche published on Monday, Ms Ransome wrote: "When my friend had sexual intercourse with Clinton, Prince Andrew and Richard Branson, sex tapes were in fact filmed on each separate occasion by Jeffrey.
"Thank God she managed to get a hold of some footage of the filmed sex tapes, which clearly identify the faces of Clinton, Prince Andrew and Branson having sexual intercourse with her.
"Frustratingly enough Epstein was not seen in any of the footage but he was clever like that!
"When my friend eventually had the courage to speak out and went to the police in 2008 to report what had happened, nothing was done and she was utterly humiliated by the police department where she went to report what had happened with Epstein, Clinton, Branson and Prince Andrew."
In the letter from Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP to the court, the firm said: "Her testimony was fabricated from whole cloth. Ms Ransome’s testimony also contains a slew of other incendiary claims concerning the sexual proclivities of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and other prominent individuals.
"The emails are a necessary antidote to Ms Ransome’s deposition misstatements because they demonstrate she manifestly lacks credibility."
The email extracts from Ms Ransome also saw her take aim at Hilary Clinton, with one saying: "I will make sure that neither that evil bitch Hillary or that paedophile Trump gets elected.
"I will also make sure that everyone on the God damn planet see’s [sic] that footage and photo’s [sic] and will release them to Wiki leaks by Sunday."
Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, New York, in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges and the death was ruled a suicide.
Maxwell has been imprisoned since July 2020 despite attempts by her defence counsel to have her released on bail.
She was sentenced to 20 years in prison at the federal court in the Southern District of New York in June 2022.
The socialite indicated her desire to appeal shortly after her conviction, with her lawyers claiming victims had 'faded, distorted and motivated memories'.
Her appeal is scheduled to be heard in November next year.