Sarah Ferguson in a fix as US releases Maxwell transcript naming Prince Andrew

Ghislaine Maxwell has disputed Prince Andrew's account of how he met Jeffrey Epstein, claiming in newly released Department of Justice transcripts that she did not introduce the pair and suggesting Sarah Ferguson encouraged their relationship.

The British socialite, currently serving 20 years for child sex trafficking, told US Attorney General Todd Blanche in July that Andrew's version of events was false, according to GB News.

"First of all, let's just state, I did not introduce him to Prince Andrew. I did not introduce him to Prince Andrew or to Sarah Ferguson. That is a flat untruth. I'll start with that," Maxwell said in the interview.

Prince Andrew told the BBC in his 2019 Newsnight interview that he met Epstein through Maxwell in 1999, saying: "I met him through his (Epstein's) girlfriend back in 1999 who… and I'd known her since she was at university in the UK."

Maxwell claimed it was actually Ferguson, Andrew's ex-wife, who pushed for the relationship with the disgraced financier.

"I thought that Sarah was trying to put the moves on Jeffrey, if I'm being honest, and I thought the whole thing was annoying and I was p****d off," Maxwell told investigators. 

"I think Sarah is the one that pushed that. And they met and hung out, I want to say two or three times that had nothing to do with me."

Maxwell described feeling "left out" and "disrespected" by Andrew's friendship with Epstein, calling her relationship with Ferguson complicated and referring to her as a "frenemy."

Representatives for Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson declined to comment. 

Andrew settled a lawsuit with Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre out of court while maintaining his innocence.