No. Ghislaine Maxwell did not testify at her federal trial in December 2021.
Under the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, defendants have the right to remain silent and cannot be compelled to testify against themselves. Maxwell’s defense team chose to rest their case without calling her as a witness.
The defense strategy: Her attorneys — led by Bobbi Sternheim — built the case primarily around attacking the credibility and memories of the four survivors who testified. They argued that memories can be distorted over time and suggested the accusers had financial motives to fabricate or embellish claims. The defense did not present Maxwell’s own account.
The prosecution’s reaction: Prosecutors argued that the four victims’ consistent and detailed testimony, corroborated by Epstein’s pattern of behavior and the physical evidence at his properties, made the defense’s memory-attack strategy unpersuasive.
The jury’s verdict: The jury found Maxwell guilty on five of six counts on December 29, 2021, after about five days of deliberation. Her silence did not prevent conviction.
Maxwell had previously asserted her Fifth Amendment rights extensively during civil depositions in lawsuits brought by Virginia Giuffre, refusing to answer hundreds of questions. Those depositions were eventually unsealed after significant legal battles, beginning in 2021.
At sentencing on June 28, 2022, Maxwell addressed the court briefly. She expressed remorse for the victims while maintaining that she had been held accountable for Epstein’s crimes. She was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.