EXCLUSIVE: The Truth Behind Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's Warped Relationship — And How They Met Years Earlier Than Anyone Suspected

Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein were lovers and partners in a sex trafficking ring.
July 9 2025, Published 1:59 p.m. ET
Jeffrey Epstein and his girlfriend-turned-pimp Ghislaine Maxwell were said to have first met after the death of her father, Robert, in 1991.
But RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal the two actually met years earlier, and that relationship would eventually lead to Epstein's suicide in prison.

The two paired to recruit underage girls for top politicians and executives.
For decades, Epstein and Ghislaine ran a hidden sex trafficking ring that allegedly provided underage girls and teens to some of the world's most powerful politicians and business leaders.
Over the course of their sex trafficking and blackmail enterprise, Ghislaine became Epstein’s closest confidante, best friend… and eventually, something more.
In his investigative tell-all, Epstein: Dead Men Tell No Tales, author Dylan Howard reveals Epstein was also secret member of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, tasked with gathering private intel on his "clients."
The financier's introduction to the spy agency actually came from Ghislaine and her father, Robert, who was also a member of the intelligence organization.
According to Howard's book, Ari Ben-Menashe, a former Israeli spy and alleged "handler" of Robert, said the secret agent "introduced" (Epstein) to us, and he wanted us to accept him as part of our group.
Early Relationship

The two started dating in the late 1980s.
Ben-Menashe claimed that Epstein and Ghislaine were already dating as early as the late 1980s and that Robert grew particularly fond of the young upstart.
"Epstein was hanging around with Robert Maxwell, and the daughter was hanging around there too, and that’s how they met," Howard wrote in his book. "Just two young souls, they met."
Ben-Menashe continued: "Maxwell sort of started liking him, and my theory is that Maxwell felt that this guy is going for his daughter. He felt that he could bless him with some work and help him out in like a paternal (way)."
Before long, Robert convinced the Mossad to embrace and work with Epstein. Before long, Ghislaine would join the group as well, and help set up the rendezvous with the underage girls.
Ghislaine's Conviction

Ghislaine was convicted of grooming victims for Epstein.
In 2019, Ghislaine's boss and former boyfriend died under mysterious circumstances. Epstein's body was found hanging in his Manhattan jail cell while he awaited trial for sex trafficking charges.
Ghislaine was convicted two years later for recruiting and grooming victims for the late financier to traffic to powerful men and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
She is serving out her sentence at the low-security FCI Tallahassee prison in Florida but was previously at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where Sean 'Diddy' Combs currently resides after being denied bail.
Time Served


She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
However, investigative reporter Tara Palmeri told the Daily Beast podcast recently Ghislaine is likely working hard – and working with the feds – to get out early.
According to the journalist, the prosecutors are still working on cases against the "Johns," powerful men accused of abusing girls trafficked by Epstein, regardless of the recent DOJ conclusions about the case. And Ghislaine is said to be doing her part to help take down those former clients.
"They can’t let her out right now, there would be public outrage," Palmeri said. "But (when) nobody’s paying attention, story’s gone away, a few years, Ghislaine’s out, or ends up in some nice prison."