Epstein warned to keep away from Andrew after he ‘had consensual sex’ with Virginia Giuffre
A newly uncovered unredacted email appears to show Jeffrey Epstein was urged to distance himself from Andrew after a journalist stated as fact that the ex prince “had consensual sex” with Virginia Giuffre
This undated photo at an undisclosed location released by the US Justice Department on January 30, 2026 as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files shows British former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor kneeling over a woman lying on the floor(Image: US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE/AFP via)
A newly uncovered unredacted email reveals that Jeffrey Epstein was warned to distance himself from Andrew. The former prince allegedly “had consensual sex” with Virginia Giuffre, then known as Virginia Roberts.
Epstein did not dispute the shocking allegation in correspondence with a journalist. Despite Andrew’s repeated denials and a $12 million settlement paid to Virginia in 2022, the release of the latest Epstein Files has reignited scrutiny over his relationship with the convicted sex offender.
It comes amid growing calls for the former Duke of York to face questioning from both the UK and US authorities.
The email shows billionaire paedophile Epstein did not challenge a journalist who stated as fact that the former prince had slept with Virginia, who was a trafficking victim and who died last year.
Epstein was reportedly cautioned to distance himself from Andrew because he “had consensual sex” with Virginia.
The first written corroboration of the alleged encounter appears in a private January 2015 email between Epstein and journalist Landon Thomas Jr, who referred to Virginia by her maiden name, Roberts, the Daily Mail reported. In the exchange, Thomas Jr advised Epstein: “I think the big issue is separating yourself from Andrew.
“I mean in the end he had consensual sex with VR. And VR worked for you.
“The rest is atmospherics. You have moved on!
“People don’t know that and can’t accept that unless you say as much.” He further told Epstein: “I mean I can see why a statement might help in some way — but it’s Andrew (not Clinton and the rest) that is keeping the story alive.”
This email exchange, first published in December 2025 with names redacted, has now surfaced in full in the latest batch of the three million-strong Epstein Files released by the US Department of Justice. Epstein did not dispute the claim that Andrew and Virginia had sex in their January 16, 2015 correspondence, instead lamenting his “reputation has admittedly taken a hit” following Virginia’s court filings in Florida alleging she was trafficked for sex with Andrew when she was 17.
Just two weeks prior, Buckingham Palace had issued a strong denial, stating it “emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts”. Rather than respond directly to the suggestion of a public statement or the claim about Andrew, Epstein shifted the conversation to currency markets.
He insisted he had kept quiet to protect a girlfriend, saying he had “tried to keep her out of my mess”, but admitted he was considering making a statement. Epstein then listed several reasons why he believed accusations of sex trafficking against him were false, calling it “crazy” to suggest he would ever request “underage” girls.
He said: “I was never alone at the house. staff, friends etc., no girl ever complained, not once”. He further maintained that those working for him provided massages and clerical work, but nothing sexual.
Landon Thomas Jr, who is no longer at the New York Times, is shown in the files warning Epstein about other journalists “digging around” for stories, including John Connolly, author of Filthy Rich, according to the Daily Mail. Thomas Jr reportedly claimed to have told others that Epstein was “a hell of a guy”, but later left the Times after reportedly soliciting a $30,000 charitable donation from Epstein.
The release of these files has prompted legal experts to warn that Andrew could face prosecution.
Marcus Johnstone, a leading criminal defence lawyer, said police may investigate whether Andrew “knowingly facilitated their exploitation” by allowing sex trafficking victims into Buckingham Palace. “It may not even be beyond the realms of possibility that a Royal Palace was used as a brothel, but proving this is a much more challenging task entirely,” he said.
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