Jen Shah Claims Ghislaine Maxwell Showed Zero Remorse for Epstein Victims Behind Bars
Behind bars in Texas, Real Housewives alum Jen Shah says fellow inmate Ghislaine Maxwell showed no remorse for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, recalling only brief encounters in a new People interview.
Jen Shah is out of prison and talking, and what she has to say about sharing a Texas facility with Ghislaine Maxwell is... not subtle. In a new interview published Wednesday, Apr 1, the former Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star says Maxwell showed zero remorse for Jeffrey Epstein 's victims and, yes, seemed to get perks other inmates did not.
What Shah says she saw at FPC Bryan
Shah, 52, did time at the federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud tied to a telemarketing scheme. She served alongside Maxwell, 64, and Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, 42. According to Shah, she kept her distance from Maxwell by choice, but the few encounters she did have left a mark.
'There is no remorse.'
Shah says that when Epstein's victims were on TV or speaking before Congress pushing to unseal case records, Maxwell brushed it all off. Shah's take: that level of dismissiveness, with real people describing real trauma, did not sit right with her. She and Holmes, she adds, made a conscious decision to steer clear after that.
Why Maxwell is in prison
Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence after a 2022 conviction. She has maintained her innocence and has publicly asked former President Donald Trump for a pardon. Epstein died by suicide at 66 in August 2019 after his arrest on federal sex-crimes charges.
- Conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts
- Conspiracy to transport minors to participate in illegal sex acts
- Transporting a minor to participate in illegal sex acts
- Sex trafficking conspiracy
- Sex trafficking of a minor
Alleged VIP treatment behind bars
This is where things get eyebrow-raising. Shah says Maxwell's day-to-day at Bryan looked very different from everyone else's. Shah worked in the recreation area and claims she saw the setup up close: late-night private workouts that required special equipment, plus what she calls special meals and even bottled water. She also says Maxwell did not always follow the same process other inmates had to follow to schedule legal calls.
For the record, the Bureau of Prisons pushed back in a statement, saying staff are required to treat all inmates the same under policy and security rules, and that any violations can lead to discipline up to removal from federal service and potential criminal prosecution.
Where Holmes fits into this
Shah says she and Holmes actually became friends inside, bonding over the weird reality of being high-profile inmates. Holmes was convicted in 2022 on four counts of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud against Theranos investors. The two, per Shah, kept to themselves and kept away from Maxwell.
Shah's own fallout
Shah pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for a telemarketing scheme that targeted elderly victims. She says she is taking responsibility and is focused on paying back the $6.6 million she owes in restitution, calling it her mission to make victims whole.
If you or someone you know needs help, the National Human Trafficking Hotline is 1-888-373-7888.