Lady Victoria Hervey described convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell as a “victim” and a “scapegoat” during an appearance on ITV ’s Lorraine this morning.
Socialite Lady Victoria became friends with Ghislaine Maxwell in the early 2000s, attending parties and gatherings with her and Jeffrey Epstein, before the latter was first convicted for child sex offences.
Speaking from Los Angeles, Lady Victoria told host Lorraine Kelly that she thinks shamed socialite Ghislaine “was a victim”.
She said: “I think she was a victim. She is a victim. She was the victim that then became the accomplice as her role changed in that relationship when they were no longer together. She kind of switched sides. I do see her as a victim though.”
Host Lorraine Kelly asked if any “alarm bells” ever rang when she spent time with the disgraced couple, but Lady Victoria said they did not.
Lady Victoria also opened up about her life as an ‘it girl’ in London, saying that it was a “plus” for Maxwell and Epstein to have her in attendance at their parties.
She said: “It probably kept it more interesting for all the men she was entertaining - obviously you want to have attractive girls.
“It all seemed very fun at the time in the early 2000s, when no one had any idea of what people found out later on. People wanted Ghislaine and Jeffrey at all their events.”
The socialite said she did feel “used” by the couple, but also stressed that she was “naïve” and “had fun” at the time.
She said: “People in my situation who were really young - of course we were going to get taken advantage of. I was definitely one of the luckier ones and I’m aware of that.”
Lady Victoria appeared on the morning show to discuss the upcoming ITV documentary Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile, where journalist Ranvir Singh explores how Prince Andrew became involved in the scandal.
The new documentary will feature interviews with palace staff as well as Lady Victoria, who recalls meeting Prince Andrew at Ghislaine's parties.
Lady Victoria described Maxwell and Epstein as a ‘double-act’, who “helped and enabled” one another, saying: “I don’t think it would have worked with just him on his own, because it was a lot easier for her to approach other women being a female - girls would feel less intimidated and less scared.”
Lorraine replied: “Victims said they felt like that. They wouldn’t necessarily have drawn in if it was just him, but some of them described her as being almost motherly, or like a big sister, so slowly, slowly they found themselves entangled in all that.”
Lady Victoria said she followed Maxwell’s trial in New York, where a jury found her guilty on child sex trafficking charges, but that she found it “disappointing” due to the lack of exposure.
She said: “I don’t think we learnt anything new and I think there was a lot of detachment from it because there was no camera allowed.
“She hasn’t really named any new names yet. I’m hoping for the people involved that, for a lesser jail sentence, she will possibly give out some new names.”
Lady Victoria concluded: “She unfortunately is a scapegoat right now, because there’s nobody else to blame. She’s being taken down for what he’s done as well, which some might argue is not quite as fair as it could be, but that’s the situation she’s in right now.”
Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV
