The day after Jeffrey Epstein died under mysterious circumstances in a Manhattan jail cell, the Duke of York went to church with his mother, the Queen. Both were photographed with sh-t-eating grins that morning, and why not? Perhaps they believed the worst was over. Perhaps they were even right about that. The problem was that questions still persisted, and old stories kept coming out about Andrew’s association with Epstein, to the point where Andrew looked like a conspirator in the human trafficking crimes. So Andrew’s office issued a lukewarm statement, a blanket denial. The stories kept coming – stories about Virginia Roberts and flight logs and stories about Andrew hosting Epstein at Balmoral and Windsor Castle, and stories about “foot massages” (hork). Even though the palace courtiers happily threw the Sussexes under the bus for jolly old Andy, reporters are still digging around. So… he released yet another statement:

Prince Andrew is continuing to speak out about the sex abuse claims surrounding his former friend Jeffrey Epstein. Less than a week after Buckingham Palace released a statement about how the Duke of York, 59, was “appalled by the recent reports of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged crimes,” the royal released a second statement.

“It is apparent to me since the suicide of Mr. Epstein that there has been an immense amount of media speculation about so much in his life. This is particularly the case in relation to my former association or friendship with Mr. Epstein. Therefore I am eager to clarify the facts to avoid further speculation,” he wrote.

“I met Mr. Epstein in 1999. During the time I knew him, I saw him infrequently and probably no more than only once or twice a year. I have stayed in a number of his residences. At no stage during the limited time I spent with him did I see, witness or suspect any behavior of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction. I had said previously that it was a mistake and an error to see him after his release in 2010 and I can only reiterate my regret that I was mistaken to think that what I thought I know of him was evidently not the real person, given what we now know. I have tremendous sympathy for all those affected by his actions and behaviour.”

In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to a felony charge of solicitation of a minor and was sentenced to 18 months in jail. After serving 13 months, he was granted work release and registered as a sex offender.

The royal added: “His suicide has left many unanswered questions and I acknowledge and sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. This is a difficult time for everyone involved and I am at a loss to be able to understand or explain Mr. Epstein’s lifestyle. I deplore the exploitation of any human being and would not condone, participate in, or encourage any such behavior.”

[From People]

“I have stayed in a number of his residences. At no stage during the limited time I spent with him did I see, witness or suspect any behavior of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.” Ah, that clears everything up! Sure, he only saw Epstein once or twice a year from 1999 to 2008, and yet… Andrew stayed in a number of Epstein’s residences. Which ones? The New York house, the Florida compound, the pedophile island too, one would assume. And Andrew NEVER saw anything. That’s not even why he would stay over at Epstein’s residences, this man he barely knew, the man whom he only saw a couple of times a year. He was staying at Epstein’s homes for completely different reasons! And notice what Andrew doesn’t say, like how many times he might have hosted Epstein at one of the royal residences.

Embed from Getty Images

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red and Getty.