Sarah Ferguson Defends Prince Andrew Amid Jeffrey Epstein Scandal
The Duchess of York calls her ex-husband 'the best man I know.'
Sarah Ferguson is speaking out against the "nonsense" surrounding her ex-husband, Prince Andrew.
In a new interview with Vogue Arabia, the Duchess of York opens up about the "hard" time she and her family have had since the scandal surrounding Andrew's affiliation with convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein.
"When I talk about Prince Andrew, I talk about family because the last six months have been hard on the girls and me. To see such a wonderful man go through such enormous pain. He is the best man I know. It’s just incredible what he has done for Britain, and it’s all nonsense," she says, alluding to the drama. "So I talk about familyhood, and I’m very strong about it. The mental health of men is important and I think it is vital to articulate that more."
Andrew stepped down from his royal duties on Nov. 20, following a controversial televised interview with the BBC about his ties to the late Epstein. Andrew denied he participated in underage sex with one of Epstein's alleged victims, despite a resurfaced image of Andrew and the woman, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, as a 17-year-old.
"I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever," Andrew told the BBC.
Sarah married Andrew in 1986 and divorced him in 1996 -- though they still remain close. During her interview with Vogue Arabia, Sarah also opened up about her and Andrew's children, Beatrice and Eugenie, and how she's raised them to withstand the scrutiny she has gone through.
"They say that unless they are perfect, it’s front-page news, and that’s hard," Sarah says.
"I used to say to anyone who came to see them, 'Do not bring your problems to my girls. It’s not their problem.' Leave the problems at the door, along with your ego," she reveals. Why should they be persecuted?"
A source told ET earlier this week that "the family is very disappointed in the situation" involving Prince Andrew, adding that he has “embarrassed the family.”
"Everyone right now is concerned about Bea," the source added of Beatrice, who is set to get married next year. "Poor Bea. She deserves to have the wedding she wants and the public is going to go nuts [because of her father]."
See more in the video below.
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