NEW YORK (AP) — The defense at the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell is trying to cast doubt on a key accuser’s allegation that the British socialite helped Jeffrey Epstein sexually assault the woman for years, starting when she was 14.
On Wednesday, a lawyer confronted the witness, who is an actress, with FBI documents the defense says she's made inconsistent statements about Maxwell's participation in the abuse.
According to The New York Times, the defense was trying to suggest that the witness was putting on a show on the stand.
“Acting on television is not real and testifying in court is real and is the truth,” she said.
The 59-year-old Maxwell pleaded not guilty to charges that prosecutors say show that she and Epstein were “partners in crime.”
The defense has countered by claiming she’s being made a scapegoat for Epstein, who killed himself while in jail.