Since renewed attention to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes reached a fever pitch over the summer, Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell have both seen their lives change drastically. After a BBC interview that was widely criticized, Andrew stepped back from public duties as a royal in November, and the whereabouts of Maxwell, who has been called Epstein’s “enabler”, have largely been unknown.

In the BBC interview that led to his resignation from public duty, he said he saw Maxwell, but he claimed they did not discuss the late financier. But a report from Page Six claims that the prince asked his friend of a few decades, with whom he has reportedly been in constant contact, for help solving his own PR problems. A source told Page Six that Andrew asked Maxwell to do an interview in his defense.

According to the source, Andrew wanted an interview that would clear his name after he faced accusations from Virginia Roberts Giuffre. (In multiple statements, Andrew has denied Giuffre’s allegations.) “Andrew pleaded with Ghislaine to publicly defend him,” the source said. “She carefully considered it, but decided no good would come of it (if she came forward). It isn’t in her best interests.” In early December, the Sun reported that Maxwell was considering a public interview, but these new comments cast some doubt on that. (Maxwell’s lawyers did not respond to Page Six when asked for comment. She has previously denied any wrongdoing.)

The source also told Page Six that Maxwell’s whereabouts have been mysterious because she has been in hiding since the Epstein case received renewed public scrutiny over the summer. “She is not in the U.S., she moves around,” the source claimed. “She is sometimes in the U.K., but most often in other countries, such as Israel, where her powerful contacts have provided her with safe houses and protection.”

The report comes a week after law enforcement sources told Reuters that the FBI is investigating Maxwell along with others they claim facilitated Epstein. On Monday, Maxwell’s friend Laura Goldman told the Sun that she is convinced she won’t be prosecuted. “Ghislaine and her sister Isabel remain totally convinced that she’ll escape any criminal convictions and will eventually clear the family name and return to high society once the dust has settled,” Goldman said.

Earlier this year, Andrew decided to take his battle against the Epstein rumors to the tabloids, and anonymous sources tried out a few of the defenses he would later use on his own behalf. Though the approach didn’t end well for the prince, now that sources connected to Maxwell are coming forward with new information, it’s another opportunity to see the strategy in action.

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