EXCLUSIVE: Revealed — Jeffrey Epstein's Horrifying 'Hannibal Lecter Persona' That Left Scandal-Magnet Duchess Sarah Ferguson 'Terrified'
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was 'terrified' following Epstein's 'threats.'
Sept. 25 2025, Published 7:17 p.m. ET
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was left "terrified" after Jeffrey Epstein allegedly threatened to "destroy her" during a menacing phone call she described as having the eerie tone of a Hannibal Lecter performance, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The chilling incident has resurfaced amid mounting criticism of Ferguson’s past interactions with the convicted sex offender, drawing renewed scrutiny of her relationship with him.
Ferguson Admits Having Regrets Over Epstein Relationship
Ferguson called her arrangement with Epstein a 'terrible, terrible error of judgment.'
The confrontation dates back to 2011, shortly after Ferguson, now 65, admitted she had accepted nearly $27,000 from Epstein to help settle debts.
In a March 2011 interview, she referred to the arrangement as a "terrible, terrible error of judgment" and made clear: "I abhor paedophilia."
Epstein, convicted in 2008 for soliciting a minor, was enraged at her public remarks and made what would later be described by her aides as one of the most disturbing phone calls of her life.
James Henderson, Ferguson's spokesman and adviser at the time, recalled the moment clearly, saying: "People don’t understand how terrible Epstein was.
"It was a chilling call and I’m surprised anybody was ever friends with him given the way he talked to me."
Epstein's Threats To The Royal Couple
Henderson said Epstein’s threat to the royal was stark.
Henderson said Epstein’s threat was stark, adding: "He said he would destroy the York family and he was quite clear on that. He said he would destroy me."
The spokesman added Epstein, 58 at the time, delivered his threats in what he described as "a Hannibal Lecter-type voice."
Henderson said: "He wasn’t shouting. He had this very cold, calm, menacing tone. It was really nasty." Troubled by the two-minute exchange, he saved Epstein’s number to ensure he would never take another call from him.
According to a source close to the Duchess, Ferguson was deeply shaken by the ominous conversation.
The insider said: "The impact of that call cannot be overstated. Sarah felt cornered, and in the face of those threats she sent an email that she would never have written otherwise.
Sarah Left 'Terrified'
The royal was left horrified by the late sick pedo.
Epstein terrified her.
"That email, later revealed, showed Ferguson attempting to placate Epstein, describing him as a "steadfast, generous and supreme friend" and offering him a "humble apology" for publicly criticizing him.
She also added that she knew "you feel hellaciously let down by me."
While intended as self-protection, the email would prove deeply damaging years later.The message resurfaced this week, leading to Ferguson being unceremoniously dropped as patron by several charities.
Sarah Facing Backlash Over Epstein Ties
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Many charities have now cut ties with Ferguson due to Epstein ties.
The British Heart Foundation, The Children’s Literacy Charity, and The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation all severed ties with the scandal-magnet duchess.
Julia’s House, a children’s hospice in Dorset and Wiltshire, was the first to announce her removal, stating it would be "inappropriate for her to continue as patron" given the correspondence with Epstein.
The Teenage Cancer Trust, with which Ferguson had been associated since its first London unit opened in 1990, cut ties within hours.
It once held personal significance for Ferguson, who had taken her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, now both married with children, to visit Teenage Cancer Trust units on their 18th birthdays.
For Ferguson, the fallout marks the abrupt end of decades of philanthropic work. Henderson defended her actions at the time of the email, saying: "He was very, very clear.
"He said ‘I will destroy the family’. The pressure she was put under to protect her family must have been huge. Her family and children will always come first for her, and that call – short though it was – was cold, calm and chilling beyond belief."
