Sarah Ferguson, better known as Fergie, has once again found herself at the centre of a storm, decades after her high-profile divorce from Prince Andrew.
Known for a series of scandals ranging from financial missteps to the infamous cash for access saga, the Duchess may now be grappling with her most damaging controversy yet.
Newly uncovered emails, published by the Mail on Sunday, reveal that in April 2011, Fergie apologized to convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein, addressing him as her “supreme friend” and expressing that she was “humbly sorry” for letting him down.
The revelation is particularly striking given that just two months earlier, she had publicly vowed to have nothing further to do with Epstein.
In the correspondence, she claimed that speaking to Epstein was advised as a way to “save her career as a children’s author.”
The controversy has reignited scrutiny of Fergie’s past behaviour. A 2011 New York Times review of her six-part reality series, Finding Sarah, suggested that the Duchess “may have never been prepared to take responsibility for her actions.”
The show, commissioned by the Oprah Winfrey Network for $300,000, offered unprecedented access into her life and was subtitled.
In 2010, she was filmed offering access to Prince Andrew for substantial sums, widely criticised as exploiting her former husband’s position as the UK Government Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.
Observers at the time described Fergie as being “all over” wealthy prospects, highlighting questions around her judgment and motives.
Her struggles with accountability were further spotlighted during interviews, including a 2011 appearance on 60 Minutes Australia. While discussing her past scandals, Fergie reflected on hitting “rock bottom,” admitting the experiences forced her to reevaluate her life.
Host Michael Usher described the encounter as “the largest train wreck I have ever done,” noting that Fergie was “icier than the wilds of the Arctic” at times.
Speaking in December 2024 on Nova 96.9’s Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie, Usher reflected on the experience, “I had to call her Duchess. She wouldn’t let me call her Sarah… lots and lots of airs and graces. But she was fine, relatively sweet, then suddenly a different personality would appear.”
He added that after the interview, Fergie even ran after him and his crew outside.
The Duchess’s controversial connections have also come under renewed attention following statements from Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite jailed for 20 years for sexual trafficking.
Maxwell described Fergie as a “frenemy” who reportedly showed an interest in Jeffrey Epstein.
These revelations came amid a broader context of legal cases linked to Epstein, including the tragic death of Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who had alleged being trafficked to high profile figures including Prince Andrew, claims the Duke has consistently denied.