Defense lawyers for alleged Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell continued questioning Friday, this time calling an ex-girlfriend of Epstein to testify. Eva Andersson-Dubin testified that she dated Epstein “off and on” from 1983 to the early 1990s before he dated Maxwell. Epstein and Andersson-Dubin remained friends after breaking up.
Andersson-Dubin is key to the case because earlier in the trial, one of the Maxwell accusers testified that a woman named “Eva” joined a group sexual experience with Epstein. That accuser, going by “Jane” in the trial to preserve anonymity, was the topic of some of the defense testimony Thursday.
Andersson-Dubin and her husband have denied knowing anything about Epstein’s sexual misconduct. They were publicly supportive of Epstein when he was initially convicted of sex crimes in 2008. Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre has said that she was trafficked to Glenn Dubin, among other powerful men. All of those men have denied her accounts. Giuffre’s testimony is not a part of the Maxwell trial.
In the Maxwell defense’s questioning of Epstein’s ex, she was asked if she had ever been in a group sexual encounter with Jane, as well as if she had ever been in a group sexualized massage of Epstein with Jane. She responded “Absolutely not” and “I have not” respectively. However, during cross-examination, Andersson-Dubin acknowledged having issues with her memory.
“It’s very hard for me to remember anything far back,” Andersson-Dubin said. “My family notices it, I notice it. It’s been an issue.”
Also on Friday, Maxwell announced she will not take the stand at her own trial. U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan had asked her to stand, explaining that Maxwell had the right to either testify in her own defense or decline to.
“Your Honor, the government has not proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt so there is no reason for me to testify,” Maxwell responded.
After Maxwell refused to testify, the defense rested its case.
Nathan told jurors Friday aternoon to return at 9 a.m. Monday, rather than 9:30 a.m., and to arrange to be in court as late as 6 p.m. She said the parties will deliver their closing arguments. Then, she’ll instruct the law on the law and deliberations will begin.
