Where Is Ghislaine Maxwell Now? What to Know About the Epstein Accomplice’s Life in Prison (and Attempts to Be Freed) By Emily Blackwood

Ghislaine Maxwell fell from high-society privilege when she was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021 for recruiting and grooming underage girls for the late Jeffrey Epstein. 

The former British socialite was arrested by the FBI in July 2020, nearly a year after her longtime companion died by suicide in jail while awaiting trial for sex trafficking dozens of underage girls as young as 14. Then-U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss alleged that Maxwell helped Epstein identify and groom victims and sometimes “participated in the abuse herself.”

“She pretended to be a woman they could trust,” Strauss said during a press conference following the arrest. “All the while she was setting them up to be sexually abused.”

Maxwell pleaded not guilty to the six felony sex trafficking charges filed against her. She was convicted of five charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

In September 2024, the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied her petition to overturn her conviction, in which she cited a 2008 deal Epstein made with federal prosecutors in Florida to not pursue his alleged co-conspirators, per BBC. The following July, her attorneys petitioned the Supreme Court.

That same month, Maxwell met with top DOJ officials to answer questions about Epstein’s connections to about 100 different people. According to her lawyer, David Markus, she “didn’t hold anything back.”

So, where is Ghislaine Maxwell now? Here’s everything to know about Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice’s life in prison — and her attempts to overturn her conviction. 

Who is Ghislaine Maxwell?

Maxwell is a former British socialite and associate of Epstein, who was convicted in 2021 for sex trafficking and grooming underage girls for the late financier. Her father was Robert Maxwell, a disgraced British publisher whose mysterious death in 1991 exposed a massive pension fund fraud, per The Guardian.

The heiress started dating and working for Epstein sometime in the early ’90s, according to The Guardian. She managed his home in Palm Beach and other properties until they split in the early 2000s. In a March 2003 interview with Vanity Fair, Epstein described Maxwell as his “best friend.”

She allegedly stopped working for him after they broke up. 

What was Ghislaine Maxwell charged with?

After she was arrested by the FBI in July 2020, Maxwell was charged with six felony counts of sex trafficking that stemmed from allegations from four different accusers between 1994 and 1997.

Her charges included accusing her of recruiting, enticing and transporting minors to engage in illegal sex acts with Epstein.

Although Maxwell pleaded not guilty and denied any involvement, Strauss claimed that the former British socialite helped Epstein groom victims by taking them shopping and discussing sexual topics. Strauss also alleged that Maxwell was present for the abuse and sometimes participated herself.

“It was Ghislaine who was the real enforcer,” Sarah Ransome, an Epstein survivor, told PEOPLE in December 2021. “She was the enforcer. She was the groomer. She controlled everything.” 

That month, Maxwell was found guilty of five of her six charges. The only charge she wasn’t convicted of was enticement of a minor to travel with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity.

What was Ghislaine Maxwell’s sentence? 

In June 2022, Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and fined $750,000, the maximum allowable amount. At her sentencing, she addressed the courtroom after hearing multiple victim impact statements.

“To you, all the victims … I am sorry for the pain that you experienced,” she said. “It is my sincerest wish to all those in this courtroom and to all those outside this courtroom that this day brings a terrible chapter to the end, to an end.” 

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Maxwell continued, “To those of you who spoke here today and those of you who did not, may this day help you travel from darkness into the light.”

Where is Ghislaine Maxwell now?

Maxwell has been imprisoned in the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, Fla., since 2022, per the Tallahassee Democrat. Her lawyer, Arthur Aidala, told NewsNationNow in March 2024 that she had been moved from an overcrowded portion of the prison called the “Snake Pit” into different living quarters called the “honor dorm,” where she was more likely to have her own room.  

Aidala described Maxwell as a “very popular inmate” because of her ability to speak five languages, including Spanish.

“There are a lot of Spanish women who are incarcerated and a lot of them who need help with their cases,” he said, noting that Maxwell has helped “20 people” shorten or terminate their sentences.

The attorney added, “That’s a great reputation to have when you’re in prison, is to be known as someone who can help you get out of jail sooner rather than later.” Aidala also said that he was concerned about her safety as she’s the “biggest name” in her prison.

Will President Trump pardon Ghislaine Maxwell?

Although President Donald Trump told reporters that he was “allowed” to give Maxwell a pardon, he had no plans of doing so, per FOX 5 Washington DC. 

“Nobody’s approached me with it, nobody’s asked me about it,” he said during a bilateral meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in July 2025. “It’s in the news, that aspect of it. But right now, it would be inappropriate to talk about it.”

Markus confirmed to reporters in July 2025 that Maxwell’s legal team had not spoken directly with President Trump, but that their client “would welcome any relief.” He added that her conditions over the last five years have been “very difficult.”

He said in a statement: “We are appealing not only to the Supreme Court but to the President himself to recognize how profoundly unjust it is to scapegoat Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s crimes, especially when the government promised she would not be prosecuted.”