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- By Shivangi Sharma
- Tue, 03 Feb 2026 05:56 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A fresh tranche of documents released by the US Department of Justice has reignited scrutiny of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after an email suggested he may have fathered a secret child around 15 years ago. The claim, which remains unverified, surfaced in records made public under a 2025 law mandating the full disclosure of Epstein-related files.
According to a report by The Telegraph, one of the documents includes an email dated September 21, 2011, attributed to Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Britain’s Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. By that time, Epstein had already been convicted for engaging in sexual activity with an underage girl.
In the message, Ferguson congratulates Epstein on the birth of a “baby boy,” claiming she had heard the news from “The Duke,” widely believed to be Prince Andrew. “Don’t know if you are still on this bbm (BlackBerry Messenger) but heard from The Duke that you have had a baby boy,” the email reads. “Even though you never kept in touch, I still am here with love, friendship and congratulations [sic] on your baby boy.”
Follow-Up Message Adds Emotional Context
A second message, sent eight minutes later, further suggests Ferguson was the sender. In it, she expresses hurt, alleging Epstein maintained contact with her primarily to gain access to Prince Andrew. The emails were released without contextual information, and all non-Epstein email addresses were redacted, limiting independent verification.
Epstein, first charged in 2006 and who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges, was not previously believed to have any children. However, claims of secret offspring have surfaced repeatedly since his death, often in connection with efforts to access his estate.
More than 100 individuals have reportedly claimed to be Epstein’s children. In 2020, genealogist Harvey Morse said there was “a reasonable chance” Epstein may have fathered a child due to his long history of sexual activity, noting that over 130 people contacted his firm after it invited potential heirs.
The newly released cache includes more than 3 million pages, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images. The Justice Department has cautioned that the files contain material that may be “untrue and sensationalist,” stressing that allegations within them should not be treated as established fact. Epstein’s will, amended shortly before his death, left most of his fortune to his last known girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak.