Sarah Ferguson Defends Prince Andrew Over Alleged Jeffrey Epstein Ties: 'He Is Kind Man'

Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson has defended Prince Andrew once again for his alleged association with American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In a recent interview with PEOPLE magazine, the Duchess of York said she will continue to support her royal ex-husband, whom she described as a "kind man" and a "fabulous dad."

"Whatever challenges he has, I will stand firm to the co-parenters [sic] that we are together," she told PEOPLE. "I believe that he's a kind, good man, and he's been a fabulous father to the girls."

Prince Andrew, who shares two adult daughters – Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie – with Ferguson, announced in November 2019 that he would step back from his royal duties after he was named in some court documents linked to Epstein's sex scandals. At the time, he denied any knowledge of Epstein's crimes and said he "regretted" his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a U.S. prison in August 2019.

Following Epstein's death, Prince Andrew issued a statement expressing his sympathies to the victims, saying the suicide "has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathize with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure."

Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein's accusers, claimed that the multi-billionaire forced her to have sex with several notable men, including Prince Andrew. She claimed she had sex with the Duke three times – in London, at Epstein's mansion in New York when she was 17 and on the U.S. Virgin Islands when she was 18.

Amid the controversy, Ferguson showed her support for Prince Andrew and said she would always have his back. In an Interview with Vogue weeks after Prince Andrew stepped down from public duties, the Duchess of York defended him fiercely, saying it was "just incredible what he has done for Britain."

Although Prince Andrew and Ferguson have been separated since 1992, they remain friends and have continued to live in Royal Lodge together.