A new report says Sarah Ferguson visited Jeffrey Epstein twice in 2009 during his Florida prison term, information that is tied to emails released by the U.S. Justice Department. The documents also show Ferguson reaching out for advice while Epstein was on a w
Sarah Ferguson’s name returns to the center of the Jeffrey Epstein case—not through a courtroom claim, but through timing.
A new report says the former Duchess of York visited Epstein twice in 2009 while he was serving his first prison sentence in Florida. She met him at his Palm Beach office on two separate occasions. when—under a work-release arrangement—he was allowed to work outside of jail for part of the week. the report said.
The details matter because Epstein’s Florida sentence came after he pleaded guilty to two state prostitution charges. including one count of soliciting prostitution from a minor. During that 13-month period between 2008 and 2009, Palm Beach County authorities later discontinued the work-release arrangement in 2019.
Ferguson has not been accused of any crimes related to Epstein, and she had planned, according to the same reporting, to visit a third time before her plans fell through at the last minute.
The emails that followed her outreach paint a picture of closeness that later turned into regret. Nine months into Epstein’s Florida sentence, Ferguson asked him to meet while she was in Palm Beach.
In an email made available on the Justice Department’s website as part of the gradual release of Epstein files that began on Dec. 19, Ferguson wrote: “Hello Jeffrey. I am landing in Palm Beach in a couple of hours. Is there any chance on my quick layover. that I can get to have a quick cup of tea. ” signing off. “Love Sarah. The red Head.”.
A week later. on April 11. 2009. she wrote again to Epstein. calling him her “dear spectacular friend Jeffrey.” In that message. she referred to him as a “legend. ” telling him. “I am so proud of you. ” and thanking him for looking after her “so well. ” while also referencing “the brilliance of Yanoush.” She said she had “read and devoured” his email and was putting “into action [what] you said. ” adding that she would “come back to you.”.
The messages also show Ferguson seeking help as she launched a business venture. She asked Epstein for advice and help as she started Mothers Army, including asking him to have his lawyers trademark the name and asking which prominent women she should ask to be part of it.
After Epstein was released—his Florida sentence ending in July 2009—Ferguson’s emails continued. On Jan. 30. 2010. after months of change following his July 2009 release. she emailed him saying. “I really don’t have the words to describe my love. gratitude for your generosity and kindness. Xx I am at your service . Just marry me.”.
Taken together, the documented sequence moves in a single direction: contact, requests, and warmth during a period when Epstein was still serving a prison sentence that involved leaving jail six days a week for roughly 12 hours a day to work at an office nearby.
Ferguson has previously said she regrets her friendship with Epstein. In an April 2012 interview with the Evening Standard, she said, “I abhor pedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf.”
She also sent an apology later. In an email sent to Epstein on April 27, 2011, Ferguson apologized, writing, “I know you also feel hellaciously let down by me” and adding, “As you know, I did absolutely not say the P. Word about you. But understand it was reported that I did.”
Her representatives later offered a different framing of how the relationship began and evolved. In a September 2025 statement to the BBC and People. they said she was “one of many people who were fooled by Epstein.” The statement added: “As soon as she was aware of the extent of the allegations against him. she not only cut off contact but condemned him publicly. to the extent that he then threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with pedophilia.”.
Beyond the emails themselves, the account surrounding Ferguson also includes claims of continued sightings. Royal biographer Andrew Lownie told NewsNation he spoke to a dog walker who claimed to see Ferguson exiting one of Epstein’s flats as late as 2014. years after Ferguson said she had ended contact.
In 2025, the fallout reached Ferguson’s charities and public presence. In September 2025, several charities cut ties with the former duchess following reports of her emails with Epstein.
Ferguson. who divorced Mountbatten-Windsor in 1996. continued to capitalize on the title Duchess of York for years until October. when she stopped using it on her social media pages. The former prince was ousted as a senior royal following allegations over his connections to Epstein and stripped of the royal title on Oct. 17, just days before the release of a posthumous memoir from accuser Virginia Giuffre.
Ferguson’s representatives did not immediately comment on the new report; USA TODAY reached out to them for comment.
For now, the court cases and the later regret sit alongside the emails and the calendar—two meetings in 2009 tied to Epstein’s work-release period, and a third visit that reportedly never happened.
Sarah Ferguson Jeffrey Epstein Palm Beach work-release program Mothers Army Virginia Giuffre Duchess of York email records Justice Department Epstein files U.S. economy news not applicable
So she had tea with him. Idk why people keep acting like that’s nothing.
Emails are just words though, like everybody’s “reaching out” for stuff. But the timing is bad… and Palm Beach office?? That sounds wild. Also work-release arrangement sounds like a loophole.
Wait, did she get permission to visit him while he was in prison? I thought work-release meant he was basically out anyway, like on house arrest. The article says Palm Beach cut it in 2019 but Epstein was already locked up in 2009 right? Confusing.
They’re saying she wasn’t accused of anything but the emails show closeness, so what’s the point of “not accused”? Feels like the system protects rich people. And why was Epstein allowed a work-release in the first place, that’s the real issue. I’m not even trying to be political but this is like everybody knew.