Ghislaine Maxwell's brother said it was "surprising" to see Donald Trump speak positively about her, adding that he was "grateful."
The former president was asked about the British socialite in July last year after her arrest on sex trafficking charges related to her former lover Jeffrey Epstein.
Maxwell is preparing for her trial later this month, when prosecutors will say she groomed minors for Epstein to abuse between 1994 and 2004. She pleaded not guilty.
Trump told a July press conference: "I don't know, I haven't really been following it too much. I just wish her well frankly.
"I have met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach and I guess they lived in Palm Beach. But I wish her well, whatever it is."
Ian Maxwell, Ghislaine's brother, told an upcoming Paramount+ docuseries, produced by See It Now Studios and Fremantle, of his gratitude.
He said: "I can't think of anyone other than friends and family who are wishing Ghislaine well right now. That's not the narrative.
"So, for the president of the United States to stand up when asked a question and to wish her well, that was surprising and personally I was grateful."
He said his sister was only being prosecuted because Epstein, through his death in August 2019, did not reach his second trial.
Ian Maxwell said: "They lost him and so there had to be someone to pay the price—the patsy. Ghislaine is paying that price and she's paying it every day.
"She's now spent more time in jail than Jeffrey Epstein spent himself in jail, now how can that be correct?"
However, Epstein accuser Sarah Ransome told CBS: "I think it's disgraceful and these people are going to burn in hell."
She added: "Ghislaine was Jeffrey's right hand, you know, like the lieutenant of the whole pyramid. She made sure that we all stayed in line, that when we were called to his bedroom, that we went."
Maria Farmer, one of the first alleged Epstein victims to come forward, said: "I hate her more, Ghislaine more, way more, because she's a woman and she fed women to him."
Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre reacted to Trump's remarks at the time, posting on Twitter: "What an odd statement."
Ian Maxwell told the docuseries: "I'm extremely relieved that neither of my parents are alive to see it because they would have been profoundly shocked."
Ian and Ghislaine's father, Robert Maxwell, was a high-profile media mogul in Britain who died after falling off his yacht.
He added: "Can you look me in the eye and tell me honestly that Ghislaine Maxwell was responsible for your abuse? Or was it Jeffrey Epstein, really, who should be here, not my sister?"
It comes after Maxwell broke her silence over the weekend to tell U.K. tabloid The Mail on Sunday she stopped showering in prison because the guards would watch her.
She said: "I used to go to the [toilet] with an open sewer drain and a friendly rat would regularly visit.
"I told the guards, but nothing was done until the rat popped out and charged a guard who screamed in terror.
"Finally, the sewer drain was covered."
She added: "I used to take a shower every day but I've stopped because of the creepy guards who stand close and stare at me the whole time."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jack Royston is Newsweek's Chief Royal Correspondent based in London, U.K. He reports on the British royal family—including King Charles ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
