Convicted sex offender and former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has opened up over the death of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, saying she firmly believes “he was murdered”.

Conspiracies were triggered after the billionaire and convicted sex offender was found dead in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

With jail cameras allegedly not working and prison guards not keeping an eye on Epstein’s cell, the disgraced billionaire was eventually found dead. US authorities ruled his death was from suicide.

But now Maxwell, the woman who was close to Epstein and convicted of sex offences for her part in his sex abuse ring, says prison officials allowed him to die, and believes he was murdered.

Speaking to TalkTV’s Jeremy Kyle from her Florida prison cell, she also revealed Epstein’s legal plans before he died.

“I believe that he was murdered. I was shocked, I wondered how it happened. As far as I was concerned he was going to appeal and I was sure he was covered under the non-prosecution agreement,” she said in an explosive interview.

“I wasn’t in the indictment. I wasn’t mentioned. I wasn’t one of the co-conspirators. I wish I had never met him. Looking back now I wish I had stayed in England.”

Ghislaine Maxwell, 61, was convicted of sex offences for her part in Jeffrey Epstein's sex abuse ring. Photo / TalkTV / AP

Maxwell, 61, also revealed she tried to get away from Epstein in the late 90s, claiming she struggled to move on from the billionaire.

However, she admitted when she first met Epstein she was unaware of his predatory and sinister behaviour, even saying she saw no issue to introduce friends to the now-dead sex abuser.

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“Leaving that aside, I tried to leave and start a new job and move on from the end of 1998-1999. I wish I had been more successful at moving on. Because I became a banker. I should have moved on.

“At the time I wouldn’t have had a problem introducing people, my friends to him. I didn’t think he would be so awful. Obviously now looking back with hindsight... of course [I wouldn’t] but at the time he had lots of friends. He was friendly with just about everybody you could imagine.

“There was no reason to imagine that he was [involved in sex abuse].”

During the interview, Maxwell was asked to address Epstein’s victims.

Despite not apologising for her part in the sex abuse ring, she believes victims’ anger should be taken out on US officials who she claims allowed Epstein to die behind bars without facing further trials.

“Epstein died and they should ... take their disappointment and upset out on the authorities that allowed that to happen. And as I said ... I hope that they have some closure,” she said.

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Photo / Getty Images

In the interview, the 61-year-old questioned the authenticity of the now infamous photograph showing Prince Andrew with his arm around the waist of 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre at Maxwell’s London home.

“I have no memory of them meeting and I don’t think that picture is real.

“There is no original of that photo, [only] copies of it that have been produced, copies of copies. Parts of it, according to some experts, looks like it has been photoshopped.

Ghislaine Maxwell has contradicted her initial claims about the authenticity of what became a damning image of Prince Andrew with his accuser, Virginia Giuffre. Photo / Getty Images

“I don’t remember her in my home. I know that Virginia travelled with Jeffrey, and so it’s entirely possible. But the photo doesn’t appear to be real, and I don’t recall it being taken.”

Andrew has also questioned the validity of the image of him with Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts.

Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial, sexually abused children hundreds of times over more than a decade, exploiting vulnerable girls as young as 14.

US prosecutors said he couldn’t have done so without the help of Maxwell, his longtime companion.