Duke sex claims all ‘lies’ says Maxwell

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell denied finding underage sexual partners for the Duke of York and cast doubts on accounts by the royal’s accuser, including a claim sex took place in a bathtub, according to newly released court documents.

Accusing Virginia Giuffre of telling a “tissue of lies”, Maxwell said the bathtub – in her home in Mayfair – was too small for any sexual activity.

Maxwell, the former girlfriend of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, repeatedly denied any memory of the circumstances around Ms Giuffre’s claim Andrew slept with her when she was 17 – still a minor under US law.

The socialite is awaiting trial in the US after being charged with procuring teenage girls for Epstein to abuse. She denies the charges.

Ms Giuffre, who claims she was t r a ff i c ke d by Epstein, alleges the duke had sex with her on three separate occasions.

Andrew has categorically denied he has had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Ms Giuffre.

In the deposition transcript, from a since settled defamation case brought by Ms Giuffre, also known as Roberts, Maxwell accused the now motherof-three of lying.

In the document, which had redacted the duke’s name, Maxwell was asked if she had introduced Ms Giuffre to the royal in London and replied: “I understand her story...but again, her tissue of lies is extremely hard to pick apart, what is true and what isn’t.”

When quizzed if she had introduced Andrew to any “girls under the age of 18”, she said he had only met her friends and their children.

Maxwell’s deposition, from interviews with Ms Giuffre’s lawyers, has come to light after a US judge ordered the transcripts to be released, rejecting arguments from Maxwell’s lawyers the defamation interviews would jeopardise a fair criminal trial for her next July.

In the deposition, Maxwell denied all of Ms Giuffre’s sex allegations.

“She (Ms Giuffre) then characterised things took place in my bathroom in the bathtub itself. The tub is too small for any type of activity whatsoever,” she said.

Maxwell also cast doubt on the authenticity of a photo showing Andrew with his arm around Ms Giuffre, purportedly taken at Maxwell’s Mayfair home.

Maxwell said the surroundings in the photo looked “familiar”, but also said: “I don’t know if that’s true, if that’s a real picture or not.”

Socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is awaiting trial in the US.