The Epstein Case

How Ghislaine Maxwell Is Riding the New Jeffrey Epstein Wave

The British socialite, currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for facilitating her late ex-boyfriend’s sexual abuse, is pleading her case amid fresh outcry over the broader saga.

By Dan Adler

July 17, 2025

Davidoff Studios Photography/Getty Images.

After the Justice Department announced in a memo this month that “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted” in relation to its investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, several interested factions sprung into action. MAGA loyalists voiced their outrage over the anticlimax. Democrats, watching Donald Trump’s coalition fray over scuttled conspiracy theories, called for transparency. And the family of Ghislaine Maxwell, in a statement issued on Tuesday, seemed to sense an opening.

Already a subscriber? Sign In

Another Round?

Continue reading with a Vanity Fair membership. ~~$2.50~~ $1 per month for 1 year + a free tote.

Get Digital Access

Unlock article for ~~$2.50~~ $1 per month for 1 year + a free tote. — SUBSCRIBE

More Great Stories From Vanity Fair

What I Witnessed Inside an ICE Women’s Prison
What Queen Elizabeth Really Thought of Harry and Meghan
2025 Emmy Nominations’ Biggest Snubs and Surprises
What’s the MAGA-Epstein Drama All About?
Superman’s Culture War
The Secret Lives of Brando, Pacino, Dolly Parton, and More
Everyone Wants a Piece of Pedro Pascal
The Best TV Shows of 2025, So Far
From the Archive: The Women of Palm Beach

Dan Adler

Dan Adler is a staff writer at Vanity Fair covering culture, celebrity, and more. His work has spanned profiles of influential characters and connectors, investigations at the fringes of fame, and the criminal trials of Ghislaine Maxwell and Donald Trump. His reporting for VF on Justin Bieber’s former megachurch Hillsong ... Read More

Politics

MAGA Turns on Trump’s Attorney General for Closing the Case on Epstein

Pam Bondi once said she had Epstein’s client list on her desk, but now it turns out that she didn’t and there never was one.

By Bess Levin

Politics

Mike Johnson Says GOP Should Put “Everything Out There” on Epstein, Then Votes No to Release Epstein Info

Meanwhile, the president is yelling at his “PAST supporters.”

By Bess Levin

Politics

What’s the MAGA-Epstein Drama All About?

A guide to what’s happening.

By Bess Levin

Politics

Donald Trump Loses His Grip on the Base

After years of fanning the Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy flames, Team Trump fails to deliver the goods.

By Molly Jong-Fast

Politics

Elon Musk Is Not Happy About the Jeffrey Epstein Memo

He’s posted some memes on the matter.

By Bess Levin

Television

Rosie O'Donnell Scoffs At Donald Trump's Threat To Revoke Her Citizenship

The president's two-decade grudge against Rosie O’Donnell rose to the surface as his base clamored for answers about the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

By Eve Batey

Politics

The Texas Democrat Trying to Force Trump’s Hand on Epstein: “It Seems Like He’s Trying to Cover Up”

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Congressman Marc Veasey explains why he’s demanding the release of materials related to Jeffrey Epstein—and why MAGA isn’t moving on.

By Eric Lutz

Politics

“You Must Be Truly F--king Stupid”: Meet the Man Behind the White House’s Shock Jock Press Strategy

Reporters can expect aggressive, hostile, and even foul-mouthed replies to questions, a bare-knuckle style that Steven Cheung, the architect of the weaponized comms team, considers “untethered by traditional and outdated mores of politics.”

By Paul Farhi

Politics

Cuomo and Adams: You Drop Out of the Mayor Race…No YOU Drop Out of the Mayor Race

Only one of them was officially beat by Zohran Mamdani in the primary. But each thinks the other should bow out of the general election.

By Bess Levin

Politics

“Truly Repulsive and Disgusting": It Sure Sounds Like the Texas Attorney General Did Something Really Bad

Ken Paxton’s wife has said she’s filing for divorce on “biblical grounds.”

By Bess Levin

Politics

Can Zohran Mamdani Make Nice With New York’s Billionaires?

The politically savvy democratic socialist has reached out to Michael Bloomberg, and power broker Kathryn Wylde says he’s “calling up everybody I ask him to.” Still, Gristedes owner John Catsimatidis will be a tough sell: “This guy knows nothing about nothing!”

By Chris Smith

Politics

Why We Must Go Forward in Post-Roe America

Reflecting on the second-wave feminists’ legacy in these uncertain times.

By Molly Jong-Fast

More Great Stories From Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair Daily