Behind the stark walls of a federal prison, Ghislaine Maxwell—once the glamorous gatekeeper to Jeffrey Epstein’s elite world—firmly insists she was never paid a dime for recruiting or grooming underage girls, dismissing prosecutors’ portrayal of her as a compensated accomplice in his sex-trafficking empire.T

In a revealing July 2025 interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche—transcripts released by the Department of Justice in August—Ghislaine Maxwell, serving 20 years for sex trafficking minors alongside Jeffrey Epstein, addressed longstanding questions about her financial relationship with the late financier. Maxwell firmly denied receiving payments for any illicit activities, insisting Epstein compensated her solely for legitimate work managing his properties and affairs.

Maxwell described meeting Epstein in the early 1990s after her father’s death left her financially strained. She initially helped him find an apartment, then joined his payroll at $25,000 annually, eventually rising to $250,000 as she oversaw his multimillion-dollar homes in New York, Palm Beach, New Mexico, and elsewhere. “I was his general manager,” she stated, portraying the role as professional rather than tied to criminal conduct.

Their romantic relationship, Maxwell claimed, began with one sexual encounter she hoped would lead to dating, but evolved into an on-again, off-again dynamic that “foundered” by 1999, with 9/11 marking its end. Afterward, they remained “friends with benefits… just not sex,” occasionally sharing a bed platonically. She maintained payments continued for her managerial duties, not prostitution or recruitment.

Prosecutors at her 2021 trial painted Maxwell as Epstein’s paid accomplice in grooming and abusing underage girls from 1994 to 2004, arguing financial dependence motivated her. Victims’ testimonies and evidence suggested she was rewarded for facilitating abuse. Maxwell, however, rejected this, claiming ignorance of Epstein’s crimes contemporaneously and framing their bond as a mix of employment, friendship, and past romance.

Critics, including victims’ advocates, dismissed her account as self-serving, noting her perjury history and potential commutation hopes. As Epstein file releases continue into 2026, Maxwell’s ordinary portrayal of lavish funding contrasts sharply with the prosecution’s sinister narrative, leaving public debate unresolved.