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Chasing Ghislaine
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October 19, 2021
Chasing Ghislaine is an utterly fascinating and terrifying series but not for the reasons you may assume it to be.
Going into this, one expects a journalist close to the case providing a greater degree of perspective and depth than is available elsewhere.
What it turns out to be is a journalist who comes across - at least to me - as either incredibly inept and / or compromised.
I have no idea if Ward is terrible at journalism or so deeply enmeshed in the society of the people she's reporting on – probably among the main reasons she lands the assignment - that she cannot be counted on to even slightly disturb its structure and decorum. But in the end, that distinction or the reasons for it are purely academic.
It is clear - at least from the way she handled the Epstein case - that she's a timorous, vain, silly person, utterly at odds with the notion that journalism ought to inform and protect the public.
But then perhaps that purpose does not apply to Vanity Fair, the magazine she is writing for when she first encounters Epstein, after being commissioned to do a profile on him.
THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS UP AHEAD, SO IF THAT BOTHERS YOU, PLEASE STOP READING!
Through the course of working on the profile, Ward hears "rumours". People - particularly women - tell her about being uncomfortable around Epstein. Ward herself – at least retrospectively – finds Epstein “creepy”.
Sources tell her there are 'Eyes Wide Shut' situations playing out at the mansion. In 'Chasing Ghislaine', Ward foolishly tells us about how she wondered "What could it all mean?" when to anyone with half a brain, an internet connection or even a basic awareness of pop culture, it could mean ONLY ONE THING!
She meets one of the Farmer sisters who outlines her horrifying experiences with Jeffrey and Ghislaine. Under pressure from the Vanity Fair editor, the Farmers' account is dropped. Ward's 'article' titled The Talented Mr Epstein is for large chunks of its run-time – apart from a detour into his financial finagling –the sort of gushing hagiography you would expect from a court bard or professional sycophant.
It is later revealed that she is also the sort of journalist who does not open "strange emails". Having been a journalist for large parts of my career, "opening strange emails" is about a quarter of the job. Even in the most liberal and relaxed of newsrooms I have been in, this would have been unacceptable as an excuse.
She devotes an entire episode to the "misguided" rage that has apparently come her way from Maria Farmer - and while she claims it’s an apology, that sentiment is a little hard to dig out from the reams of self pity/aggrandizement that Ward freely indulges in.
You may think I am exaggerating a little here, but I’m not. Apart from her own account and the account of what happened to her sister – both of which are incredibly repulsive – Maria Farmer apparently told Ward that there were more details that she was not revealing at the time. These were presumably the details that made it to her affidavit – of school age girls frequenting Epstein’s house.
Here is Ward from ‘Chasing Ghislaine’ discussing her reaction to the affidavit, after being asked a pointed question on it by Audible Editor Martha Little (who – just going by this interaction – appears to be 100 times the journalist Ward will ever be):
“She (Maria) did say that right at the end… I remember sticking in mind ‘what else could there be?’
Obviously, I did not know; she had not said to me in 2002 that girls in their school uniform were coming in and out of Jeffrey’s home.
You can bet that if I had know that or known anything about, you know, scouting trips, I would have tried to report that.”
Really? Is that something we can “bet on” unless we actively wanted to lose? Because by now Ward had the Farmer sisters accounts, the ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ references and (for what it’s worth and giving her the benefit of doubt) her own personal misgivings about Epstein. And she didn’t do very much with all of this information at all. Its highly unlikely that another fact would have changed her mind about this or increased the rigour of her reporting.
But oh, it gets worse.
"And I think it would have probably altered my view of Ghislaine. I would have probably you know when bumping into her at social events, possibly not said ‘hello’.”
“Possibly not said ‘hello’.”???? What. The. Actual. Fuck.
In Ward’s circles/moral universe, this is the maximum sentence for someone accused of child trafficking and paedophilia.
Also, I’d like to draw your attention to the large number of weasel words – “try to report”; “would have probably x 2”; “possibly not said”.
But the most infuriating aspect of this entire exercise are Ward’s attempts at whitewashing Ghislaine’s reputation. Through the narrative, as seen by Ward, Ghislaine is someone who is more victim than perpetrator - constantly being acted upon by “powerful men”. Ward's relentless references to Ghislaine’s “charm” come across as braindead and retch-induing.
There are of course some references to her culpability as well, but the overall impression you are left with is an attempt to exonerate Ghislaine and provide her with a total abdication of personal responsibility.
Given Ward’s waffling meandering defence of her own behaviour and her unnecessary valorisation of Ghislaine, Maria Farmer’s actions come across as not “misguided” but a long overdue reckoning towards a person who broke her trust.
More than anything else I have read/heard, Chasing Ghislaine also helps understand why Epstein was able to get away for as long as he did, and the age we live in – one where Joe Public is willing to unquestioningly accept the garbage shared by his bigoted uncle or nutjob friend, purely because it comes from a source whom he knows and trusts.
It is primarily because journalists covering important beats and with the opportunity to tell stories that are vital to public interest, are so enmeshed with their subjects, so susceptible to flattery and such gutless cowards (the VF editor apparently held off publishing two damning Epstein reports after finding a bullet and a cat’s head on his doorstep), that how can anything they say be taken seriously?
Throughout Chasing Ghislaine, Ward finds excuses to leaven her infrequent, perfunctory and unwilling lapses into self-flagellation. She often speaks about how the “me-too” movement was still a few years away. Almost like it was a meteorological phenomenon that mere mortals had no control over – like a flood or a famine – rather than something that happened due to the efforts of people unwilling to let go of a story that needed to be told. Had Ward made use of the platforms, access and privileges she had, instead of trying to cement her place in them, maybe the movement could have taken place a full 15 years before it actually did.
Ward often speaks of the frightening pressure tactics used by Epstein – leveraging his connections with publisher and relative by marriage Conrad Black and threats of personal lawsuits for instance. But I’d wager Epstein is not the first or the last person to issue such threats to journalists. An Indian businessman has ongoing lawsuits against journalists, media organisations and unsympathetic politicians running into millions of dollars. In short, it's best you leave the kitchen of journalism, if you can’t take the heat.
And yet Chasing Ghislaine deserves a 4 star rating. Hearing this is a remarkable and unique experience, especially if you are a journalist. To hear a journo being given as many directional cues as possible, and a literal account from a survivor only to have her come up with an imbecilic ‘But what does it all mean?' has the frisson of seeing someone terrible at a job plod on through it, regardless.
Chasing Ghislaine should be essential listening in every school of journalism for a lesson on what not to do. That is, if we intend to break the cycle of rich, influential people writing about other richer, even more influential people, giving them the kid glove treatment when they are alive, and discovering a belated crusading spirit after they are outed and / or dead.
Going into this, one expects a journalist close to the case providing a greater degree of perspective and depth than is available elsewhere.
What it turns out to be is a journalist who comes across - at least to me - as either incredibly inept and / or compromised.
I have no idea if Ward is terrible at journalism or so deeply enmeshed in the society of the people she's reporting on – probably among the main reasons she lands the assignment - that she cannot be counted on to even slightly disturb its structure and decorum. But in the end, that distinction or the reasons for it are purely academic.
It is clear - at least from the way she handled the Epstein case - that she's a timorous, vain, silly person, utterly at odds with the notion that journalism ought to inform and protect the public.
But then perhaps that purpose does not apply to Vanity Fair, the magazine she is writing for when she first encounters Epstein, after being commissioned to do a profile on him.
THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS UP AHEAD, SO IF THAT BOTHERS YOU, PLEASE STOP READING!
Through the course of working on the profile, Ward hears "rumours". People - particularly women - tell her about being uncomfortable around Epstein. Ward herself – at least retrospectively – finds Epstein “creepy”.
Sources tell her there are 'Eyes Wide Shut' situations playing out at the mansion. In 'Chasing Ghislaine', Ward foolishly tells us about how she wondered "What could it all mean?" when to anyone with half a brain, an internet connection or even a basic awareness of pop culture, it could mean ONLY ONE THING!
She meets one of the Farmer sisters who outlines her horrifying experiences with Jeffrey and Ghislaine. Under pressure from the Vanity Fair editor, the Farmers' account is dropped. Ward's 'article' titled The Talented Mr Epstein is for large chunks of its run-time – apart from a detour into his financial finagling –the sort of gushing hagiography you would expect from a court bard or professional sycophant.
It is later revealed that she is also the sort of journalist who does not open "strange emails". Having been a journalist for large parts of my career, "opening strange emails" is about a quarter of the job. Even in the most liberal and relaxed of newsrooms I have been in, this would have been unacceptable as an excuse.
She devotes an entire episode to the "misguided" rage that has apparently come her way from Maria Farmer - and while she claims it’s an apology, that sentiment is a little hard to dig out from the reams of self pity/aggrandizement that Ward freely indulges in.
You may think I am exaggerating a little here, but I’m not. Apart from her own account and the account of what happened to her sister – both of which are incredibly repulsive – Maria Farmer apparently told Ward that there were more details that she was not revealing at the time. These were presumably the details that made it to her affidavit – of school age girls frequenting Epstein’s house.
Here is Ward from ‘Chasing Ghislaine’ discussing her reaction to the affidavit, after being asked a pointed question on it by Audible Editor Martha Little (who – just going by this interaction – appears to be 100 times the journalist Ward will ever be):
“She (Maria) did say that right at the end… I remember sticking in mind ‘what else could there be?’
Obviously, I did not know; she had not said to me in 2002 that girls in their school uniform were coming in and out of Jeffrey’s home.
You can bet that if I had know that or known anything about, you know, scouting trips, I would have tried to report that.”
Really? Is that something we can “bet on” unless we actively wanted to lose? Because by now Ward had the Farmer sisters accounts, the ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ references and (for what it’s worth and giving her the benefit of doubt) her own personal misgivings about Epstein. And she didn’t do very much with all of this information at all. Its highly unlikely that another fact would have changed her mind about this or increased the rigour of her reporting.
But oh, it gets worse.
"And I think it would have probably altered my view of Ghislaine. I would have probably you know when bumping into her at social events, possibly not said ‘hello’.”
“Possibly not said ‘hello’.”???? What. The. Actual. Fuck.
In Ward’s circles/moral universe, this is the maximum sentence for someone accused of child trafficking and paedophilia.
Also, I’d like to draw your attention to the large number of weasel words – “try to report”; “would have probably x 2”; “possibly not said”.
But the most infuriating aspect of this entire exercise are Ward’s attempts at whitewashing Ghislaine’s reputation. Through the narrative, as seen by Ward, Ghislaine is someone who is more victim than perpetrator - constantly being acted upon by “powerful men”. Ward's relentless references to Ghislaine’s “charm” come across as braindead and retch-induing.
There are of course some references to her culpability as well, but the overall impression you are left with is an attempt to exonerate Ghislaine and provide her with a total abdication of personal responsibility.
Given Ward’s waffling meandering defence of her own behaviour and her unnecessary valorisation of Ghislaine, Maria Farmer’s actions come across as not “misguided” but a long overdue reckoning towards a person who broke her trust.
More than anything else I have read/heard, Chasing Ghislaine also helps understand why Epstein was able to get away for as long as he did, and the age we live in – one where Joe Public is willing to unquestioningly accept the garbage shared by his bigoted uncle or nutjob friend, purely because it comes from a source whom he knows and trusts.
It is primarily because journalists covering important beats and with the opportunity to tell stories that are vital to public interest, are so enmeshed with their subjects, so susceptible to flattery and such gutless cowards (the VF editor apparently held off publishing two damning Epstein reports after finding a bullet and a cat’s head on his doorstep), that how can anything they say be taken seriously?
Throughout Chasing Ghislaine, Ward finds excuses to leaven her infrequent, perfunctory and unwilling lapses into self-flagellation. She often speaks about how the “me-too” movement was still a few years away. Almost like it was a meteorological phenomenon that mere mortals had no control over – like a flood or a famine – rather than something that happened due to the efforts of people unwilling to let go of a story that needed to be told. Had Ward made use of the platforms, access and privileges she had, instead of trying to cement her place in them, maybe the movement could have taken place a full 15 years before it actually did.
Ward often speaks of the frightening pressure tactics used by Epstein – leveraging his connections with publisher and relative by marriage Conrad Black and threats of personal lawsuits for instance. But I’d wager Epstein is not the first or the last person to issue such threats to journalists. An Indian businessman has ongoing lawsuits against journalists, media organisations and unsympathetic politicians running into millions of dollars. In short, it's best you leave the kitchen of journalism, if you can’t take the heat.
And yet Chasing Ghislaine deserves a 4 star rating. Hearing this is a remarkable and unique experience, especially if you are a journalist. To hear a journo being given as many directional cues as possible, and a literal account from a survivor only to have her come up with an imbecilic ‘But what does it all mean?' has the frisson of seeing someone terrible at a job plod on through it, regardless.
Chasing Ghislaine should be essential listening in every school of journalism for a lesson on what not to do. That is, if we intend to break the cycle of rich, influential people writing about other richer, even more influential people, giving them the kid glove treatment when they are alive, and discovering a belated crusading spirit after they are outed and / or dead.
July 21, 2021
Eyes Wide Shut
Vicky Ward research is thorough and detailed.
I believe her recounts about her conversations and interactions with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to be true .
Also believe , she was railroaded and her article modified by Vanity Fair previous Editor in Chief Graydon Carter because he/they didn't like the angle her article on JE was heading. This was done, due to pressure from parent company Condé Nast .
I found her to be a trustworthy witness and a remarkable storyteller.
Audio production and narration was truly amazing. Thanks Audible for having it in Audible Plus program.
This was my first-ever podcast and I enjoyed immensely.
Vicky Ward research is thorough and detailed.
I believe her recounts about her conversations and interactions with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to be true .
Also believe , she was railroaded and her article modified by Vanity Fair previous Editor in Chief Graydon Carter because he/they didn't like the angle her article on JE was heading. This was done, due to pressure from parent company Condé Nast .
I found her to be a trustworthy witness and a remarkable storyteller.
Audio production and narration was truly amazing. Thanks Audible for having it in Audible Plus program.
This was my first-ever podcast and I enjoyed immensely.
July 21, 2021
The podcast Chasing Ghislaine by Vicky Ward has quite a bit of info for listeners to absorb, especially if you're like me who has only followed bits and pieces over the years. Even though much of this information was new to me, I can't imagine it will be new to everyone. I actually thought this podcast was going to be more of a secret reveal "tell-all," rather than a retelling of info that can be found online. Either way, I enjoyed listening and found the episodes to be thought-provoking enough to want to learn more about Epstein and Maxwell, as well as the many others involved both directly and indirectly.
One thing I found odd was that the original tapes were "lost." Lost? Stolen? Disposed of? Hmmm...not sure about all that, but okay. Perhaps this was addressed somewhere other than this podcast?? To me, this seems like a huge deal! Why isn't it discussed in more detail? Sure, it is stated numerous times, but what actually happened to these lost tapes? I feel like a high-profile case like this one would take any and all precautions to ensure something like this doesn't happen. Of course, unless it was on purpose. Either way, assuming Ms. Ward's notes and transcripts are accurate, I do feel the reenactments were well-played and added to my overall enjoyment of the podcast. Some of the interviews, however, were a bit muffled and hard to hear, but that is just my personal opinion.
I give an overall rating of ~4.3 stars to the podcast Chasing Ghislaine by Vicky Ward and recommend it to those who enjoy true crime and/or documentary-type listens. Come November, it'll be interesting to see how this all plays out. Thanks for reading my review; I hope it was helpful. :-)
One thing I found odd was that the original tapes were "lost." Lost? Stolen? Disposed of? Hmmm...not sure about all that, but okay. Perhaps this was addressed somewhere other than this podcast?? To me, this seems like a huge deal! Why isn't it discussed in more detail? Sure, it is stated numerous times, but what actually happened to these lost tapes? I feel like a high-profile case like this one would take any and all precautions to ensure something like this doesn't happen. Of course, unless it was on purpose. Either way, assuming Ms. Ward's notes and transcripts are accurate, I do feel the reenactments were well-played and added to my overall enjoyment of the podcast. Some of the interviews, however, were a bit muffled and hard to hear, but that is just my personal opinion.
I give an overall rating of ~4.3 stars to the podcast Chasing Ghislaine by Vicky Ward and recommend it to those who enjoy true crime and/or documentary-type listens. Come November, it'll be interesting to see how this all plays out. Thanks for reading my review; I hope it was helpful. :-)
December 22, 2021
Instead of focusing on the victims and their quest for justice, Vicky Ward chooses to profile herself (why?!?). The transcripts dramatized here show how friendly she was with Ghislaine Maxwell and how charmed and disarmed she was by Jeffrey Epstein. She clearly admires the wealth and privilege that Maxwell enjoyed for most of her life and seems to argue that Epstein must have coerced Maxwell rather than exposing the evils crimes committed by Maxwell. As a result, her “investigations” discounted victims stories from the start. While she seems to acknowledge this fact in the podcast, the entire series is more PR for her friend Ghislaine than journalism.
June 16, 2022
Not as good as I hoped it would be. It was actually, all things told, kind of boring in my opinion. But still, it's a quick, easy listen if you are interested for whatever reason in these horrible individuals. Granted, the journalist Ward does project some sympathy towards Ghislaine (I discovered in listening to this that I was pronouncing her name wrong, as CHISlaine). But it's hard to really feel that sorry for her, and certainly it's impossible to feel pity for Epstein himself, whether he died of naturally causes or otherwise. I don't know, but his suicide does seem a little bit too convenient for so many powerful people for me to find it that convincing personally.
January 3, 2022
This podcast was compelling listening. I was a statutory child protection worker and this account illustrates well the conduct/grooming by the perpetrators of sexual abuse and so it’s important listening for everyone so that people further understand the modus operandi of perpetrators in order to protect children and be alert to being groomed/ manipulated themselves.
The other crimes, such as Ponzi schemes and money laundering etc in this podcast are also astounding and sad.
I did find episode 12 ‘broken trust’ bizarre, where Vicki Ward apologises that she and vanity fair failed to report in 2002 and 2011, the truth about the sexual abuse perpetrated by both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell on both Maria and Annie Farmer. The allegations of sexual abuse reported to Vicki by the Farmer women were left out of the Vanity Fair Piece in 2002. Then in 2011 Vicki’s blog that was up on her own website as well as Vanity Fair refers to Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse as just sexual peccadilloes.
Vicki apologies but then says the reason she didn’t correct it was because she was a single Mum who needed her job. This just sounds like an excuse because it appears that when Vicki got divorced she and her husband sold their house for over 5MillionUSD in 2010 and it doesn’t sound as though her ex husband would have left his children high and dry. Maybe I’m wrong ? Vicki also says that if Maria Farmer would have told her that she’d seen girls in their school uniforms at Jeffrey’s house then that could have made the difference in the reporting. However, I think that statement added insult to injury, as Vicki already knew all the extent of the abuse to Maria and Annie. Vicki Ward kept up a relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell even after knowing what she did to Annie. I thought episode 12 was weird. Vicki, like Maxwell is a woman of money and privilege who should have in my opinion used her platform to help the Farmer women and maybe have brought Epstein and Maxwell to justice sooner.
I acknowledge that to report on Jeffrey Epstein would have taken enormous courage and self sacrifice. However if you are going to take a whole episode to apologise that you and Vanity Fair didn’t report the abuse when you knew then in my opinion it has to be without reserve.
The other crimes, such as Ponzi schemes and money laundering etc in this podcast are also astounding and sad.
I did find episode 12 ‘broken trust’ bizarre, where Vicki Ward apologises that she and vanity fair failed to report in 2002 and 2011, the truth about the sexual abuse perpetrated by both Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell on both Maria and Annie Farmer. The allegations of sexual abuse reported to Vicki by the Farmer women were left out of the Vanity Fair Piece in 2002. Then in 2011 Vicki’s blog that was up on her own website as well as Vanity Fair refers to Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse as just sexual peccadilloes.
Vicki apologies but then says the reason she didn’t correct it was because she was a single Mum who needed her job. This just sounds like an excuse because it appears that when Vicki got divorced she and her husband sold their house for over 5MillionUSD in 2010 and it doesn’t sound as though her ex husband would have left his children high and dry. Maybe I’m wrong ? Vicki also says that if Maria Farmer would have told her that she’d seen girls in their school uniforms at Jeffrey’s house then that could have made the difference in the reporting. However, I think that statement added insult to injury, as Vicki already knew all the extent of the abuse to Maria and Annie. Vicki Ward kept up a relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell even after knowing what she did to Annie. I thought episode 12 was weird. Vicki, like Maxwell is a woman of money and privilege who should have in my opinion used her platform to help the Farmer women and maybe have brought Epstein and Maxwell to justice sooner.
I acknowledge that to report on Jeffrey Epstein would have taken enormous courage and self sacrifice. However if you are going to take a whole episode to apologise that you and Vanity Fair didn’t report the abuse when you knew then in my opinion it has to be without reserve.
July 26, 2021
Interesting but inconclusive.
Pretty much as expected, Ward’s tale of the inner workings of this 21st Century Svengali’s World is filled with all kinds of trails through a maze of schemes, connections and names. Some of them are fascinating food for speculation, some are dead ends and some are rabbit holes we’ll never see the bottom of.
There are probably some interesting disclosures. Ward is definitely comfortable in the rarefied air of a Big Money and High Society World most of us will never see, so that holds our interest, but really, after finishing her story, this reader feels too late the remorse usually reserved for the last bite of a meal of empty calories.
Epstein was a greedy, charming, manipulative Monster. Ghislaine was a damaged victim trying desperately to please her Daddy. Many innocent lives were sacrificed. Vicky Ward can sure stick with a story. And we’ll never get to the bottom of this Twisted Secret World. #SAD! Three stars for the telling.
Pretty much as expected, Ward’s tale of the inner workings of this 21st Century Svengali’s World is filled with all kinds of trails through a maze of schemes, connections and names. Some of them are fascinating food for speculation, some are dead ends and some are rabbit holes we’ll never see the bottom of.
There are probably some interesting disclosures. Ward is definitely comfortable in the rarefied air of a Big Money and High Society World most of us will never see, so that holds our interest, but really, after finishing her story, this reader feels too late the remorse usually reserved for the last bite of a meal of empty calories.
Epstein was a greedy, charming, manipulative Monster. Ghislaine was a damaged victim trying desperately to please her Daddy. Many innocent lives were sacrificed. Vicky Ward can sure stick with a story. And we’ll never get to the bottom of this Twisted Secret World. #SAD! Three stars for the telling.
January 29, 2022
Audiobook
November 13, 2021
The Jeffrey Epstein scandal is one of the most sensational stories of the century so far - involving allegations of high-level corruption, sex trafficking, espionage, illegal arms deals and Bond villain-level monstrosities.
The definitive account of the story so far, in my opinion, was the Netflix documentary Filthy Rich. By contrast, this 13-episode podcast by expat UK journalist Vicky Ward is a significantly inferior telling - tabloid in tone and overly personal.
Ward, like her subject Ghislaine Maxwell (Epstein’s Girl Friday, enabler and suspected procurer of underage girls), is one of those well brought up UK Chelsea girls that make a living in New York in magazine journalism, fashion and high society. So she moved in the same circles as Ghislaine and in the early 2000s attempted a profile of Epstein for Vanity Fair.
This podcast series is ostensibly her attempt to solve the mystery of the Maxwell heiress, her strange relationship to the Uber criminal and conman Epstein and the intersection between that world and the celebrity universe populated by the likes of Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Woody Allen and others.
But what this really feels like from Ward is a very long excuse-making exercise for not getting the story in the first place and an apology to those of Epstein’s victims who accuse her of siding with Maxwell.
Ward’s 2002 profile in Vanity Fair, she claims, was butchered by the editor Graydon Carter, who deleted her allegations that Epstein with the help of Maxwell had abused two young women, the Farmer sisters.
Again, a decade or so later, Ward regrets writing a blog which she says was edited to turn it into a hagiography of Maxwell.
There are a lot of interesting tidbits in here about Epstein’s alleged links to Mossad and international armament dealers - and the possible though unproven links between himself and Maxwell’s father Robert Maxwell, who also died in dubious circumstances.
But this really doesn’t reveal anything about Ghislaine’s role in the crimes of her former boss and almost nothing about their many young victims.
A coda about this being a story about powerful men (a billionaire boys’ club) feels tacked on.
My recommendation to anyone contemplating listening to this is to watch the Netflix series instead. And wait for the trial.
The definitive account of the story so far, in my opinion, was the Netflix documentary Filthy Rich. By contrast, this 13-episode podcast by expat UK journalist Vicky Ward is a significantly inferior telling - tabloid in tone and overly personal.
Ward, like her subject Ghislaine Maxwell (Epstein’s Girl Friday, enabler and suspected procurer of underage girls), is one of those well brought up UK Chelsea girls that make a living in New York in magazine journalism, fashion and high society. So she moved in the same circles as Ghislaine and in the early 2000s attempted a profile of Epstein for Vanity Fair.
This podcast series is ostensibly her attempt to solve the mystery of the Maxwell heiress, her strange relationship to the Uber criminal and conman Epstein and the intersection between that world and the celebrity universe populated by the likes of Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Woody Allen and others.
But what this really feels like from Ward is a very long excuse-making exercise for not getting the story in the first place and an apology to those of Epstein’s victims who accuse her of siding with Maxwell.
Ward’s 2002 profile in Vanity Fair, she claims, was butchered by the editor Graydon Carter, who deleted her allegations that Epstein with the help of Maxwell had abused two young women, the Farmer sisters.
Again, a decade or so later, Ward regrets writing a blog which she says was edited to turn it into a hagiography of Maxwell.
There are a lot of interesting tidbits in here about Epstein’s alleged links to Mossad and international armament dealers - and the possible though unproven links between himself and Maxwell’s father Robert Maxwell, who also died in dubious circumstances.
But this really doesn’t reveal anything about Ghislaine’s role in the crimes of her former boss and almost nothing about their many young victims.
A coda about this being a story about powerful men (a billionaire boys’ club) feels tacked on.
My recommendation to anyone contemplating listening to this is to watch the Netflix series instead. And wait for the trial.
August 16, 2021
Chasing Ghislaine covers a fascinating topic—Jeffery Epstein and his conspirators—whose deplorable conduct should be rooted out, exposed for the evil it is, and eradicated for all time. Ward’s insights into Ghislaine Maxwell’s involvement with Epstein is educational and interesting. Chasing Ghislaine, however, is less of an expose and more of an apology to the Farmer sisters, who were among the first, if not the first, of Epstein’s victims, and whose account of Epstein’s misogyny and abuse was omitted when the Vanity Fair article Ward authored about Epstein was published. To add insult to injury, when Ward’s blog was published by Vanity Fair, Ward claims the facts were changed to express disbelief in the Farmers’ claims. In other words, Vanity Fair’s concern over publishing a he-said/she-said-piece silenced the females’ voice. Readers were left with no she-said. What purported to be investigative journalism, was lacking in just that. Chasing Ghislaine is a failed attempt to right that wrong. Instead of ferreting out the who, what, when, and why of Vanity Fair’s compromised publications about Epstein, Ward blames herself for her preoccupation with legitimate concerns over family matters and what would have been a career-ending battle with her bosses. Although she vaguely attributes Vanity Fair’s actions to the male power structure, her accusation lacks the specificity expected of an investigative journalist. Vanity Fair has become a part of this scandal. Ward should not be faulted for considering family and career in her actions. Chasing Ghislaine gave Ward the opportunity to demonstrate with particularity Epstein’s corrupt reach and power into even journalistic pursuits about him. For some reason, Ward seems to excuse Vanity Fair, leaving the listener to wonder why.
July 31, 2021
This book about the exploits of Jeffrey Epstein and his friend Ghislaine Maxwell provides the ordinary Joe or Josephine with a glimpse of entitled behavior. It is cannot-look-away nauseating. The people Epstein entangled in his web of tawdry actions covers the world, and includes wealthy, wealthy men. Ward makes it clear that this is a private coterie of male friends of Jeffrey Epstein, invited into places that exploited young girls who were poor and consequently vulnerable and powerless. The mysteries surrounding Epstein involve photos and tapes of sex acts performed by Epstein’s friends—that are known to exist and have vanished. The original source of Epstein’s wealth is mysterious. His death is mysterious and questionable. The death of Ghislaine’s father, Robert Maxwell, is mysterious and questionable. The federal government is said to be keeping Ghislaine under tight oversight, to ensure nothing happens to her before her trial, or before she makes a deal and spills what shen knows.
June 29, 2022
Enraging and like my fellow readers, here, it's a bit horrifying what this writer was not willing to do in the face of the treacherous allegations that were coming to light about her subject all of those years before Epstein was on anyone's radar. Bravery is rare and intelligence to adequately report and substantiate controversial claims can be even rarer. I sympathize and yet weep that more couldn't have been done sooner.
December 9, 2021
Solid information and research with the intermittent distractions of Vicky Ward and her editor celebrating themselves and blaming "men".
When Vicky Ward sets aside her defense of her fellow English aristocrat (Ghislane) she provides a brilliant expose of the lies, double deals, and corruption that was the water Ghislane submerged herself in.
When Vicky Ward sets aside her defense of her fellow English aristocrat (Ghislane) she provides a brilliant expose of the lies, double deals, and corruption that was the water Ghislane submerged herself in.
January 12, 2022
Audible podcast by Vicky Ward, a British-American journalist who wrote a piece about Epstein for Vanity Fair back in 2003. Tasked with finding out how he got his wealth, the result was this sort of puff piece in the style of Dominick Dunne. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/...
Years later when Epstein returned to the news via Julie K. Brown's stories in the Miami Herald, she decided to re-visit her reporting. The title is a bit of a misnomer, probably to drum up interest during Maxwell's trial. While she does explore Maxwell's motivations a bit, this is mostly about Epstein and about Vicky Ward herself.
On a certain level, she's reporting on her own reporting. I suspect she was picked to write that piece partly because she knew some of the players, including Maxwell, socially. There's some name dropping and some efforts to explain herself that verge on embarrassing.
What did I learn? We still don't really know exactly how Epstein got his money. We don't know all the people he was involved with. We don't know how exactly he died. We do know he was a horrible person, but rich, famous, and seemingly smart people were so enamored of his wealth and charm that they just couldn't stay away. Ghislaine Maxwell had a sort of poor little rich girl upbringing that may have contributed to the disgusting lengths she was willing to go to for Epstein. Both of them had a victimizer's skill at finding victims and a sociopath's ability to do bad things and not feel bad about it.
I didn't follow Epstein at all when he was first getting notoriety on society pages and didn't follow his more recent arrest and impending trial all that closely, so I did learn some new things. On the whole, I think the author is too personally involved to really get to the bottom of this story. I hope someone else takes a shot at it after some time has passed.
If you're an Epstein/Maxwell junky, you should probably skip this. And also, if you meet or already know someone like this, turn them in or at least walk away.
Years later when Epstein returned to the news via Julie K. Brown's stories in the Miami Herald, she decided to re-visit her reporting. The title is a bit of a misnomer, probably to drum up interest during Maxwell's trial. While she does explore Maxwell's motivations a bit, this is mostly about Epstein and about Vicky Ward herself.
On a certain level, she's reporting on her own reporting. I suspect she was picked to write that piece partly because she knew some of the players, including Maxwell, socially. There's some name dropping and some efforts to explain herself that verge on embarrassing.
What did I learn? We still don't really know exactly how Epstein got his money. We don't know all the people he was involved with. We don't know how exactly he died. We do know he was a horrible person, but rich, famous, and seemingly smart people were so enamored of his wealth and charm that they just couldn't stay away. Ghislaine Maxwell had a sort of poor little rich girl upbringing that may have contributed to the disgusting lengths she was willing to go to for Epstein. Both of them had a victimizer's skill at finding victims and a sociopath's ability to do bad things and not feel bad about it.
I didn't follow Epstein at all when he was first getting notoriety on society pages and didn't follow his more recent arrest and impending trial all that closely, so I did learn some new things. On the whole, I think the author is too personally involved to really get to the bottom of this story. I hope someone else takes a shot at it after some time has passed.
If you're an Epstein/Maxwell junky, you should probably skip this. And also, if you meet or already know someone like this, turn them in or at least walk away.
July 17, 2021
As far as I know, this "book" only exists as the < ahref-"https://www.audible.com/pd/Chasing-Gh... series on Audible. The author is very close to the events having personally known Ghislaine, interviewed Epstein, etc. This is the output of her extensive research effort in producing an article for Vanity Fair>. It really indicates an elite, wealthy men's club with financial crimes, sex crimes, etc. This is really as much about the nebulous and possibly illegal source of Epstein's wealth as much as it is about Ghislaine's fawning adoration of the man for which she acted as procuress. There is included much speculation about where Ghislaine's court case could go.
October 16, 2021
This is a low four for me. I like very much getting this story from this personal perspective, and how Ms. Ward looks at the events as a complicated story of male power. Without diminishing the impact of the horror of the sex trafficking charges, Ward also addresses financial elements of Epstein's life and crimes with more detail than I have seen and read elsewhere.
That said, parts of this series come off a bit gossipy for me, which was strange since Ward seems to deliberately keep from repeating the salacious and titillating details of abuse found in other mini-series/podcasts.
I am looking forward to updates, if there will be some.
That said, parts of this series come off a bit gossipy for me, which was strange since Ward seems to deliberately keep from repeating the salacious and titillating details of abuse found in other mini-series/podcasts.
I am looking forward to updates, if there will be some.
March 6, 2022
Chasing Ghislaine: The Untold Story of the Woman in Epstein's Shadow was a good read by Vicky Ward. This investigative series chronicles Vicky Ward's 19 year quest to uncover who or what is behind Jeffrey Epstein's wealth, influence, and criminality. There is testimony from over 20 people with ties to Epstein as well as some off the record transcripts and exclusive conversations with Epstein. In 2002, she profiled Epstein for Vanity Fair. She never realized just how close she came to uncovering his secrets then. She quickly uncovers the intertwining of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. This was a good telling of both Epstein and Maxwell.
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February 16, 2022I really enjoyed listening to this unfold, I think Vicky Ward is a really interesting character in herself and I am glad that the Audible producer asked her some difficult questions.
They kept saying "Remember this was before Me Too" or "remember this was the early 2000s" like they were the Middle Ages and excused so much of their behaviours.
It did help me to see Ghislaine in a different light. I still think she is guilty but the real villain here is Jeffrey Epstein, who escaped justice.
They kept saying "Remember this was before Me Too" or "remember this was the early 2000s" like they were the Middle Ages and excused so much of their behaviours.
It did help me to see Ghislaine in a different light. I still think she is guilty but the real villain here is Jeffrey Epstein, who escaped justice.
July 26, 2021
Fascinating dive into how Epstein made his money and manipulated so many. This is a power broker story & also documents the challenge & risks of trying to take a look at this man. Account only lightly touches on the specific sexual abuse allegations—it’s more focused on his history & use of power. Fascinating & disturbing.
July 29, 2021
This audio series seems inappropriately named, since the first 80% of the performance was almost entirely about Epstein with just occasional mentions of Ghislaine. Nevertheless, it was informative, though it created more questions than answers about what Epstein really did and to what extent Ghislaine was complicit.
December 31, 2021
🎧 This was really about Epstein. But I learned so much about his horrible dealings going all the way back to the 80s. How this man got away with so much for so long is appalling. I'm glad Ghislaine got her due in court. I wish all these powerful men who were involved in such sickness would get theirs too.
February 20, 2022
Vicky Ward tries to both distance herself and insert herself into the Maxwell case.
I feel like she tries to say Maxwell's situation could have happened to any woman...she was just in the wrong place and the wrong time.
I feel like she tries to say Maxwell's situation could have happened to any woman...she was just in the wrong place and the wrong time.
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July 20, 2021Audio
July 20, 2021
What an enthralling look into a real-life story, that reads like fiction.
July 24, 2021
I listened to this in two days, so it certainly kept my interest. However, there were times when I felt pretty confused. Guess I would not make a good con or reporter.
July 24, 2021
4.5 stars
July 27, 2021
Frustratingly vague! Not sure what the point of this story was at this point in the saga of wealthy power and privilege. Wonder why it is being released now?
August 3, 2021
This was a waste of time. Nothing new and repetitive.
August 10, 2021
Interesting but it was really about Epstein not Ghislaine.
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