Ghislaine Maxwell just dropped a bomb, saying she doesn’t actually believe Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide. This surprising statement comes from over 300 pages of her testimony. The Department of Justice (DOJ) released these detailed recordings on Friday, August 22, giving everyone a peek into her thoughts. She spoke with Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanche about her old partner.
Maxwell, now 63, suggested that Epstein, who was found dead in his jail cell back in August 2019, might have met a different end. She called it an “internal situation” within the prison walls. She painted a grim picture of jail life, explaining how easily someone could be killed. She said, "In jail, where I am, you get killed, or you get paid — someone can pay an inmate to kill you for $25 worth of commissary," Maxwell told Blanche. She even added a specific detail: "That’s about the going rate for a hit with a padlock right now."
She thought it was "possible" someone from outside the prison wanted Epstein dead. However, she quickly added that she didn’t know any real reasons why that would be the case. Maxwell didn’t believe Epstein was involved in any kind of blackmail, so she didn’t think he would have "that kind of hit" on him from the outside. If it truly was murder, she firmly believed it happened inside the prison. She also found it odd to consider an external hit. She argued that if anyone wanted to kill Epstein, they had many chances before he even went to prison in July 2019. Back then, she pointed out, he would have been a "very easy target" if they worried about blackmail or anything else from him.
Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein Getty Images
For those who need a refresher, Epstein was arrested in 2019. He faced serious federal charges for sex trafficking minors in both Florida and New York. That summer, after his death, the medical examiner officially ruled it a suicide.
Maxwell herself was found guilty in 2022. She received a 20-year prison sentence for working with Epstein to sexually abuse underage individuals. Federal Prosecutor Damian Williams didn’t mince words at the time. In a statement from the Department of Justice, he said, "Today’s sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable for committing terrible crimes against minors." He stressed that "no one is above the law" and that "it is never too late for justice." Williams also thanked the brave victims of both Epstein and Maxwell for coming forward. They testified in court and shared their stories during the sentencing.
Currently, Maxwell is serving her time at a low-security prison in Texas. Interestingly, she shares the institution with a few other famous faces. Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos, is also there, serving an 11-year sentence for fraud. Jen Shah, known from Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, is another inmate, doing six and a half years for wire fraud.
After her meeting with Assistant Attorney General Blanche, Maxwell was moved to this Texas facility. Through her lawyer, she made a surprising offer: she’s willing to testify before Congress about the crimes she and Epstein committed. There’s a catch, though. She would only do so if former President Donald Trump granted her immunity. When asked about this in July, Trump had a direct answer for reporters. He stated, "Well, I have the right to give her a pardon, but nobody’s asked me," the former President told reporters. He also added that discussing a pardon "wouldn’t be appropriate" at that moment.