7 bombshell revelations from Prince Andrew's 2019 interview about Jeffrey Epstein as shown in 'Scoop'

7 bombshells from Prince Andrew's 'No Holds Barred' interview about Jeffrey Epstein

Netflix recently released 'Scoop' - a film adaptation of Prince Andrew's infamous interview with BBC 'Newsnight' anchor Emily Maitlis in 2019. Through the film, the streaming giant has adapted the interview with Gillian Anderson starring as Emily Maitlis and Rufus Sewell starring as Prince Andrew. Ever since Prince Andrew, Duke of York made a series of bombshell claims in the original interview, his reputation in the royal family suffered a major blow. Here are seven such bombshell revealings from his 'No Holds Barred' interview. 

1. Prince Andrew described his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein

Prince Andrew recalled the initiation of his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein in the bombshell interview with Maitlis. He shared that they met in 1991 through the financier’s then-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. Queen Elizabeth's second son shared, “It would be, to some extent, a stretch to say that as it were we were close friends. I mean, we were friends because of other people. And I had a lot of opportunity to go to the United States, but I didn’t have much time with him," before adding he stayed quite a few times in Epstein's New York mansion when he wasn't around, per PEOPLE. As Maitlis asked him the reason for choosing to stay at the New York home of Epstein when he went to the US in 2010 to break his friendship with the financier, Andrew said, "It was a convenient place to stay." He continued, "I mean I've gone through this in my mind so many times," before adding, "At the end of the day, with a benefit of all the hindsight that one can have, it was definitely the wrong thing to do. But at the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do and I admit fully that my judgment was probably coloured by my tendency to be too honourable but that's just the way it is." When Maitlis said several witnesses claimed they saw many young girls "coming and going" at the time, Andrew replied: "I mean if there were then I wasn't a party to any of that. I never saw them," before adding, "I mean you have to understand that his house, I described it more as almost as a railway station if you know what I mean in the sense that there were people coming in and out of that house all the time."

2. Prince Andrew said he has 'no recollection of meeting' Virginia Giuffre

As the journalist asked him about Virginia Giuffre's claim of dancing with a sweaty Prince Andrew at Tramps in 2001, Andrew denied ever meeting her. The royal said, "I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever," following which Maitlis asked him about Giuffre's claims that she went to Epstein's then-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell's house in Belgravia where she had sex with Andrew. The prince refuted the claim, saying, "It didn't happen," and added, "I've no recollection of ever meeting her, I'm almost, in fact I'm convinced that I was never in Tramps with her. There are a number of things that are wrong with that story, one of which is that I don't know where the bar is in Tramps. I don't drink, I don't think I've ever bought a drink in Tramps whenever I was there."

3. Prince Andrew claimed he was with his daughter Princess Beatrice when the incident happened

Andrew further shared in the interview that he was visiting Pizza Express with Princess Beatrice on the day Giuffre claimed the encounter happened. He told Maitlis, "No, that couldn't have happened because the date that's being suggested I was at home with the children." "On that particular day that we now understand is the date which is the 10th of March, I was at home, I was with the children and I'd taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at I suppose sort of four or five in the afternoon," he explained before continuing, "And then because the duchess was away, we have a simple rule in the family that when one is away the other one is there. I was on terminal leave at the time from the Royal Navy so therefore I was at home," per Yahoo!. Maitlis then asked him why he would remember such an old incident in minute details, Andrew replied, "Because going to Pizza Express in Woking is an unusual thing for me to do, a very unusual thing for me to do," before adding, "I've never been… I've only been to Woking a couple of times and I remember it weirdly distinctly. As soon as somebody reminded me of it, I went, 'Oh yes, I remember that', but I have no recollection of ever meeting or being in the company or the presence."

4. Prince Andrew revealed he was unable to sweat because of a medical condition 

Virginia Giuffre claimed that when she went to the nightclub with Andrew, the royal was "sweating profusely." She claimed that she was made to sleep with the prince afterward. Andrew debunked the claim saying, "There's a slight problem with the sweating because I have a peculiar medical condition which is that I don't sweat or I didn't sweat at the time," before explaining, "I didn't sweat at the time because I had suffered what I would describe as an overdose of adrenalin in the Falkland's War when I was shot at and I simply… it was almost impossible for me to sweat." He continued, "And it's only because I have done a number of things in the recent past that I am starting to be able to do that again. So I'm afraid to say that there's a medical condition that says that I didn't do it."

5. Prince Andrew said he had no recollection of taking a photo with 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre

Andrew claimed that he has no memory of posing for a photograph with then-17-year-old Virginia. When Maitlis said that it implied Epstein took the photo, Andrew said, "Well here's the problem, I've never seen Epstein with a camera in my life." He continued, "Listen, I don't remember, I don't remember that photograph ever being taken. I don't remember going upstairs in the house because that photograph was taken upstairs and I am not entirely convinced that… I mean that is… that is what I would describe as me in that… in that picture but I can't… we can't be certain as to whether or not that's my hand on her whatever it is, left… left side." He added, "Nobody can prove whether or not that photograph has been doctored but I don't recollect that photograph ever being taken. However, he said, "That's me but whether that's my hand or whether that's the position I… but I don't… I have simply no recollection of the photograph ever being taken." 

6. Prince Andrew denies getting foot massage from Russian woman at Jeffrey Epstein's mansion

In the interview, Maitlis asked Andrew to give his opinion on the claims of a guest of Epstein, John Brockman, who claimed that he saw the duke there "receiving a foot massage from a young Russian woman.". Andrew again debunked the claim saying, "I wouldn't… I wouldn't… I don't know Mr Brockman so I don't know what he's talking about."

7. Prince Andrew doesn't regret his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein

Despite everything, Prince Andrew shared he didn't regret his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. As Maitlis asked, "You've talked about a thick skin, I wonder if you have any sense now of guilt, regret or shame about any of your behaviour and your friendship with Epstein?", the duke replied, "As far as Mr Epstein was concerned, it was the wrong decision to go and see him in 2010. As far as my association with him was concerned, it had some seriously beneficial outcomes in areas that have nothing and have nothing to do with what I would describe as what we're talking about today."