Ghislaine Maxwell defence blasted for ‘love letter’ to Epstein after likening him to James Bond

Lawyer who advised Harvey Weinstein says remarks ignored ‘dozens and dozens’ of alleged victims

Ghislaine Maxwell’s defence team were accused of writing “a love letter to Jeffrey Epstein” after he was compared to a “21st century James Bond” and a Biblical figure as her trial finally got underway.

American attorney Lisa Bloom told reporters ahead of the trial’s second day that lawyers for Ms Maxwell had written a “love letter” to the late financier, who was found dead in prison in 2019 and accused of sexually abusing underage girls.

Ms Maxwell’s lawyer told the court that Epstein was akin to a “James Bond” who “stirred interest”. The lawyer, Bobbi Sternheim, also compared Ms Maxwell’s former associate and boyfriend to an “Adam” figure, referring to the bible, and the 59-year-old to “Eve”.

As Ms Bloom argued, the remarks apparently ignored the “dozens and dozens of victims” who have accused him and Ms Maxwell of abuse between 1994 and 2004, which the former socialite denies. The attorney was speaking with Reuters on Tuesday morning.

“I think the lowest point for the defence was saying that Jeffrey Epstein was a 21st century James Bond,” said Ms Bloom, after he was portrayed as a “charming, intelligent and wealthy and a wonderful donor to the arts”.

That was “completely forgetting that dozens and dozens of victims who have come forward and said that he sexually assaulted them”, the attorney said, and “so I was really shocked that the defence decided to do this love letter to Jeffrey Epstein”.

She went on to suggest that the defence’s portrayal of Epstein and Ms Maxwell, who has denied aiding his crimes, was because of the former socialite’s input.

“I have to assume that came from Ghislaine Maxwell herself. That she wanted that said,” Ms Bloom alleged and added: “Perhaps she’s still in love with him.”

Although critical of the defence, Ms Bloom said the prosecution had meanwhile done an effective job of portraying Ms Maxwell as an accomplice to Epstein during its opening argument on Monday.

Ms Bloom is an American attorney known for advising the disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who was convicted for sexual assault last year. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison.