- - Jeffrey Epstein Didn’t Dispute Claim Ex-Prince Andrew Had Sex with Virginia Giuffre, Emails Show

Stephanie PetitFebruary 18, 2026 at 10:24 AM

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Prince Andrew, Virginia Roberts, Ghislaine Maxwell

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Newly released 2015 emails show Jeffrey Epstein did not dispute a former New York Times journalist’s claim that Prince Andrew had “consensual sex” with his accuser, Virginia Giuffre, despite Andrew’s repeated denials

The assertion appears in an email from journalist Landon Thomas Jr., who advised Epstein to distance himself from Andrew as scrutiny of their relationship continued

A spokesperson for The New York Times said in a statement to PEOPLE: "Landon Thomas Jr. has not worked at The Times since early 2019 after editors discovered his failure to abide by our ethical standards"

An unredacted email released by the Department of Justice shows Jeffrey Epstein did not dispute a journalist’s assertion that the former Prince Andrew had sex with his accuser, Virginia Giuffre — despite the royal’s repeated and longstanding denials.

In a January 2015 email included in the latest tranche of Epstein-related documents, journalist Landon Thomas Jr. advised Epstein to distance himself from Andrew as scrutiny of their relationship intensified. Thomas’s email signature at the time identified him as a financial reporter for The New York Times.

After Epstein wrote that his “reputation has admittedly taken a hit,” Thomas responded that Andrew was a central problem. “I think the big issue is separating yourself from Andrew,” he wrote, adding that Epstein’s association with the then-duke was “keeping the story alive.”

Thomas then made a blunt assertion about the allegations involving Giuffre, referring to her by the initials of her maiden name, Virginia Roberts. “I mean in the end he had consensual sex with VR. And VR worked for you. The rest is atmospherics,” the email continues. “You have moved on! People don’t know that and cant accept that unless you say as much.”

Epstein does not appear to challenge or correct Thomas’s characterization in the exchange — a detail that stands out because Andrew has consistently denied ever having sexual contact with Giuffre and has said he never met her.

A spokesperson for The New York Times said in a statement to PEOPLE: "Landon Thomas Jr. has not worked at The Times since early 2019 after editors discovered his failure to abide by our ethical standards. Times editors were not aware at the time of Thomas's now-public emails with Epstein."

Thomas has not responded to PEOPLE's request for comment. PEOPLE has also reached out to a spokesperson for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for comment.

Ex-Prince Andrew; Jeffrey Epstein

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Andrew, who has always denied any wrongdoing in his ties to Epstein, said in his infamous 2019 interview with BBC's Newsnight that he didn’t recall ever meeting Giuffre and called into question the veracity of a photograph showing them together with Ghislaine Maxwell.

"Nobody can prove whether or not that photograph has been doctored, but I don't recollect that photograph ever being taken," he said in the sit-down.

Andrew — who was stripped of his royal titles and honors by his brother King Charles in October 2025 and forced to move out of his Royal Lodge home — was named in a lawsuit against Epstein filed by Giuffre, alleging that she was sex trafficked to the royal when she was 17 and had three sexual encounters with him. In 2022, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre without any admission of liability.

Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025. Her memoir, Nobody’s Girl, was published posthumously in October, in which she reiterated her accusations against Andrew.

Virginia Giuffre

Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty

Giuffre's brother, Sky Roberts, said he and the family were "really proud of our sister" after the latest release of Epstein files, telling BBC’s Newsnight program on Feb. 4, "This is a very vindicating moment for Virginia."

"It truly does vindicate Virginia," her brother added. "She was not lying this entire time.”

Her sister, Amanda, added to the news program, “I’ve felt like a moment of such overwhelming emotion because I wish she was here to see this. She fought so hard and so long, and she was still so strong.”

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