EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Ferguson 'Gagging for Meeting With Multi-Millionaire Fifty Shades of Grey' Author E.L. James — As She's 'Convinced She Can Teach Her How to Make a Fortune Writing X-Rated Books'
Sarah Ferguson has sought a meeting with E.L. James to discuss writing X rated books.
Nov. 23 2025, Published 3:50 p.m. ET
Sarah Ferguson is "gagging" for a private meeting with Fifty Shades of Grey creator E.L. James – as part of what insiders tell RadarOnline.com is part of her "full-scale career salvage mission."
Sources tell us the disgrace duchess, 66, is convinced James' guidance could show her how to reinvent herself as a money-spinning X-rated author after she and her ex-husband Andrew Windsor were stripped of their royal titles by furious King Charles due to their ties to late s-- trafficker Jeffrey Epstein continuing to swamp the royal family in sleaze.
The Blueprint for Riches
Sarah Ferguson sought guidance from E.L. James to rebuild her career.
Her desire to meet multi-millionaire Brit author James, 62, comes after RadarOnline.com revealed the former Duchess of York is quietly considering a shift into adult fiction, including explicit romantic material, under a pseudonym.
Publishing figures now say that plan has now accelerated into a direct pursuit of James – whose Fifty Shades trilogy was written under a pseudonym, and transformed her from an anonymous fan-fiction writer into one of the wealthiest authors on the planet, selling more than 150 million copies and spawning a multimillion-dollar film franchise.
Ferguson's desire for mentorship from James – born Erika Mitchell – also comes after her latest children's book, Flora and Fern: Kindness Along the Way, was pulped in the wake of renewed scrutiny of her ties to Epstein.
A senior publishing source said: "Fergie is saying, 'E.L. James cracked the code – I need to understand how she did it.'
"For Sarah, being able to pick her brain isn't about how to write erotica, it's about survival.
"She sees James as the blueprint for rising from nowhere and turning it into a global brand."
Another insider added: "Fergie has been saying, 'I need someone who's made real money to show me how to do it with the only thing I have left – writing.'"
Children's Book Pulped
King Charles ordered Sarah and Andrew Windsor to leave Royal Lodge.
Ferguson has quietly written more than 50 books across the children's, memoir and historical romance genres.
Sources say she had hoped Flora and Fern would bolster her credentials in the kids' market. Instead, the title was first delayed as the Epstein scandal erupted again, before pulled and destroyed.
The move was made after it emerged she had praised Epstein in an email as a "steadfast, generous and supreme friend."
Multiple charities then cut ties with Ferguson, deeming her continued patronage "inappropriate."
Royal Lodge Eviction Looms
Ferguson believed a pen name would give her creative freedom.
Her crisis has been compounded by Ferguson and Windsor's looming eviction from the $40 million Royal Lodge, where the pair has lived since their divorce in 1996.
A palace aide said: "Sarah has been saying she can't just sit around waiting to be pushed out of everything, and that she needs a plan. "That's what the E.L. James idea is for her – a plan out of the mess her life has become."
Seeking Freedom with a Pen Name
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Sarah explored writing X-rated fiction under a hidden pseudonym.
We're told Ferguson believes writing under a pseudonym could give her "freedom without the baggage" to explore X-rated topics, as until now her historical romance books have only been mildly raunchy.
A source said: "Fergie thinks a pen name means she could test a market without judgement, and if she finds herself with a hit on her hands, she can reveal she was behind it and hopefully make huge money from it."
"It's a long shot, but you never know." "And the chances of E.L. James agreeing to a meeting? Well, stranger things have happened. She might want to meet her to get some new ideas for a book."
Despite being critically panned, James' net worth is now at least $150 million thanks to her book sales and acting as a producer for the – also critically panned – movie series based on her series, which starred Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson.
The atmosphere at the Royal Lodge has grown increasingly fraught as Ferguson and Windsor only have until Christmas to vacate and find their own accommodation.
Staff say Ferguson spends evenings at a small bar tucked behind the property, nicknamed The Doghouse, venting frustrations with the few loyal employees who remain.
