Newly Released US Justice Department Emails Reveal Sarah Ferguson Sends Goddaughter’s Contact Details to Jeffrey Epstein in Manhattan After His Florida Prison Release

Freshly released court documents in the long-running saga surrounding Jeffrey Epstein have dragged another royal-adjacent figure back into the spotlight: Sarah Ferguson.

The newly disclosed emails suggest that in November 2010—more than a year after Epstein completed his controversial Florida jail sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor—the former Duchess of York passed along the contact details of her goddaughter, Poppy Cotterell, to the disgraced financier.

The note was brief and breezy.

The subject line contained Cotterell’s contact information, and the message ended casually: “Over to you! Lots of love.”

What makes the exchange explosive is the timing.

By then, Epstein’s conviction was widely known, and he had already served time in Florida.

Yet emails now made public by the US Department of Justice show the social ties were not severed.

The Meeting in Manhattan

According to the emails, Epstein instructed his assistant to arrange a meeting with Cotterell at his Manhattan townhouse.

At the time, she was 22 and working as an intern at an art gallery in New York.

An email confirms the appointment: she would come by at 2:00 p.m. at “the house.”

A later note simply read: “Poppy Cotterell is here.”

Afterward, Epstein’s team floated the idea of introducing her to Dr. Woodson Merrell and his alternative medicine charity focused on children.

The emails also mention a proposed $100,000 donation in Cotterell’s name to the charity.

Epstein even appeared to consider employing her.

In one exchange, an associate asked him whether hiring Cotterell was a good choice.

Epstein responded by asking for an opinion—“good choice? Not good?”—to which the reply described her as “extremely bright and very pretty.”

Today, Cotterell, now 38, works in London as a psychotherapist and yoga teacher.

She has said she declined the job offer and never saw Epstein again.

She also stated she did not request a charitable donation and does not know whether one was ever made.

A Friendship That Refused to Fade

The revelations add to mounting scrutiny of Ferguson’s past closeness with Epstein.

Court documents suggest that she and her former husband, Prince Andrew, maintained contact with him even after his first conviction.

In fact, it had already emerged that Ferguson introduced her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to Epstein just days after his release from jail in 2009.

Other emails show Ferguson in financially precarious moments, asking Epstein for assistance.

In one message, she reportedly sought help with mounting debts.

In another, she apologized for publicly criticizing him, explaining that it was done to protect her career as a children’s author.

She described him as a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend.”

These communications, resurfacing years later, have reignited public discomfort around the royal family’s historical association with Epstein—an association that has already cost Prince Andrew his public royal duties.

Retreat to Switzerland

As the latest tranche of Epstein-related documents surfaced, Ferguson appeared to vanish from public view.

Reports indicate she spent several weeks at the ultra-exclusive Paracelsus Recovery Clinic, a high-end wellness center on the shores of Lake Zurich known for catering to ultra-wealthy clients.

The clinic reportedly charges around £13,000 per day and offers month-long recovery programs with access to medical specialists, private chefs, and chauffeurs.

Sources suggest Ferguson left for Zurich shortly after Christmas and stayed through January.

Friends described her as “crushed” by the renewed attention.

She is said to have a longstanding relationship with the clinic and views it as a refuge during moments of vulnerability.

A Life in Motion

Since leaving Switzerland, Ferguson is believed to have kept a deliberately low profile, moving between locations including the French Alps, the United Arab Emirates, and visits tied to her daughters’ engagements abroad.

Insiders claim she has been “sofa-surfing on a global scale,” staying with friends and family while avoiding photographers.

She reportedly shares her location only after she has already moved on.

The strategy appears aimed at preventing unflattering public images—especially comparisons to Prince Andrew, who has faced intense media scrutiny since stepping back from royal duties following his disastrous 2019 BBC interview about Epstein.

Behind the scenes, Ferguson is reportedly considering hiring a new public relations team as she weighs a return to life in the UK. Whether public opinion will allow a smooth reentry remains uncertain.

The Wider Context

Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, left behind a sprawling web of powerful acquaintances.

His death was officially ruled a suicide, though controversy still lingers.

The continued release of documents has revealed how many high-profile figures maintained contact with him long after his 2008 conviction.

For the British royal family—already bruised by Andrew’s legal battles and financial settlements—the renewed focus is particularly uncomfortable.

While Ferguson has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein’s crimes, the optics of forwarding her goddaughter’s details and maintaining friendly correspondence have intensified public scrutiny.

What’s Next?

More document releases are expected as legal proceedings and public records continue to unfold.

Each new batch has the potential to reshape narratives and renew pressure on figures previously thought to have weathered the storm.

For Ferguson, the immediate future likely involves damage control.

A restructured PR strategy, selective public appearances, and carefully framed interviews could be part of a gradual comeback plan.

However, reputational repair in cases linked—even tangentially—to Epstein is notoriously difficult. Public memory is long, and the digital paper trail is permanent.

Summary

Newly released emails show Sarah Ferguson forwarded her goddaughter Poppy Cotterell’s contact details to Jeffrey Epstein in 2010, more than a year after his conviction for child sex offenses.

Cotterell met Epstein once in Manhattan, declined a job offer, and says she never saw him again.

The disclosures add to scrutiny of Ferguson’s past association with Epstein and her ex-husband Prince Andrew’s well-documented ties to the financier.

As the documents resurface, Ferguson has reportedly sought privacy abroad, including a stay at a luxury Swiss clinic, while considering how to manage her public return.

The Epstein scandal continues to ripple outward, reminding the public that even years later, its impact remains far from over.