Ghislaine Maxwell Behind Bars: Footage of Epstein's Madame in Her 'Hellhole' NYC Prison Cell Released in Document Dump
A new video reveals Ghislaine Maxwell's life behind bars.
Feb. 6 2026, Published 5:20 p.m. ET
Newly discovered footage of Jeffrey Epstein's lover and madam, Ghislaine Maxwell, reveals her mundane life behind bars inside Brooklyn’s notorious Metropolitan Detention Center, shortly after her arrest in 2020, RadarOnline.com can report.
The dingy conditions in the so-called "hellhole" prison are a far cry from her supposedly cushy current lifestyle at a minimum-security prison in Texas.
A Day in the Life of Ghislaine Maxwell
Maxwell was confined to a small cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center while waiting her trial.
Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2021 for recruiting underage girls for pedophile s-- trafficker Epstein, was being held in the infamous "MDC" during her trial.
Now, a video from 2020 released as part of the latest Epstein files dump shows how she whittled away her days in captivity.
The eerily invasive footage, which was taken by a surveillance camera on July 1, 2020, just before 2 p.m., begins with the now 64-year-old drinking something, then rinsing her cup out in her cramped cellroom sink.
After placing the cup next to a roll of toilet paper in a small, separation wall, Maxwell, wearing a bright orange prison jumpsuit and just her socks, crosses over to her bed, where she spends her time fixing her sheets and folding some clothes.
With those tasks completed, the one-time socialite ploppes into the bed, kicks her feet up, and pulls out a well-worn book to read, letting out an apparent yawn as she settles in.
Ghislaine Maxwell's Cushy New Home
She passed her time reading a book in her bed.
The bare environment is a stark contrast to her new digs at Texas's Federal Prison Camp Bryan, a sprawling 37-acre facility near Houston that houses white-collar offenders and has been dubbed "Club Fed."
As Radar readers know, Maxwell was moved to the minimum-security prison with open grounds, gardening programs, and even puppies to care for after she told US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche during a July interrogation that Donald Trump was a "gentleman in all respects" and that she never witnessed him engaging in any inappropriate behavior.
Her new life at Bryan is strikingly different from her previous incarcerations. Inmates can buy L'Oréal anti-aging cream or nailcare products at the commissary, take yoga and Pilates classes, and sign up for language or gardening courses.
Celebrity Cellmates
Maxwell has since been moved to a cushy "resort-style" prison.
Prisoners can also roam the site with minimal perimeter fencing, play football and volleyball, or participate in "assert yourself" rehabilitation sessions. The facility also boasts a gym and weight-loss programs.
Maxwell's cell neighbors included Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, 40, and former Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah, 50, before her release late last year.
Past residents have included Michelle Janavs, the Hot Pockets heiress jailed in the U.S. college admissions scandal, and Lea Fastow, wife of Enron's former chief financial officer.
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Critics Want Her Out
Maxwell is serving 20 years for helping Jeffrey Epstein's s-- empire
Critics have argued that Maxwell's big move is a conflict with Bureau of Prisons guidelines that typically house s-- offenders in low-security institutions.
Blanche said the transfer was necessary to protect Maxwell's safety. However, Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia have questioned the move, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
"Ms. Wiles clearly did not look far for answers: she was unable or unwilling to explain which senior Trump Administration official ordered the transfer and the subsequent preferential treatment, or why President Trump has not simply transferred Ms. Maxwell back to a different facility, thereby ending this seemingly ceaseless stream of perks," the lawmakers wrote.
They said a congressional delegation plans to visit the prison camp in February to investigate the claims, adding that Trump administration officials "have apparently attempted to prevent the truth from seeing the light of day by retaliating against inmates and staff at FPC Bryan."
