Natalie Dormer has announced she will donate her entire salary for playing Sarah Ferguson in a new ITV drama to a charity helping victims of sexual abuse.
The Duchess of York has hit the headlines after it was revealed she wrote to Jefferey Epstein to apologise for disavowing him in a public statement following his conviction for child sexual abuse offences.
The actress, 43, who is set to play Fergie in The Lady, said the royal’s ‘inexcusable’ behaviour would mean as well as giving up her salary, she would also no longer promote the show.
The drama follows the downfall of the Duchess’s dresser Jane Andrews, who was jailed in 2001 for murdering her lover. Andrews, now 57, beat her wealthy partner Tom Cressman, 39, in bed and stabbed him in the chest with a kitchen knife at their flat in Fulham, west London, in 2000.
Natalie said: ‘Since completing the project, new information has come to light that makes it impossible for me to reconcile my values with Sarah Ferguson’s behaviour, which I believe is inexcusable.
For that reason, I will not be taking part in the promotion of the project. In keeping with my commitment to the wellbeing of children,’
Natalie Dormer has announced she will donate her entire salary for playing Sarah Ferguson in a new ITV drama to a charity helping victims of sexual abuse (pictured 2020)
It was revealed The Duchess Of York (pictured 2024) wrote to Jefferey Epstein to apologise for disavowing him in a public statement following his conviction for child sexual abuse offences.
She told The Telegraph: ‘I have donated my entire salary from this project to the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) and the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse’.
The official synopsis for the series reads: ‘Once a young working-class girl from Grimsby, Jane answered an advertisement in the magazine The Lady and to the astonishment of her friends and family, became the Duchess of York’s dresser at Buckingham Palace.
‘Moving amongst the highest social circles in Britain, Jane managed to secure a place in the upper-classes, only to lose her job with the Duchess after nine years of service.
‘Still reeling from her fall from grace, Jane went on to meet charismatic businessman Thomas Cressman and fell deeply in love. Soon cracks began to develop in the romance Jane had pinned all her hopes on, with disastrous consequences.’
Jane became firm friends with Fergie after beginning her role at Buckingham Palace in 1988 – the same year she met former stockbroker Thomas through a mutual acquaintance.
Several charities severed ties with the Duchess this week after it emerged she apologised to paedophile financier Epstein in April 2011 after publicly disowning him in the media.
Among the organisations to end their relationship with Sarah after the email came to light was the Teenage Cancer Trust, which dropped her as patron after 35 years.
Similar announcements came from Wiltshire and Dorset-based children’s hospice Julia’s House, Prevent Breast Cancer, The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals – who all cut ties on Monday.
The actress, 43, who is set to play Fergie in The Lady, said the royal’s ‘inexcusable’ behaviour would meant as well as giving up her salary, she would also no longer to promote the show.
She said: new information has come to light that makes it impossible for me to reconcile my values with Sarah Ferguson’s behaviour, which I believe is inexcusable’ (pictured in June)
The British Heart Foundation also said Sarah was no longer a serving ambassador for the charity. Julia’s House said it would be ‘inappropriate for her to continue as a patron of the charity’ – citing her correspondence with Epstein as a deciding factor.
Meanwhile founders of food allergy charity The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation said they were ‘disturbed’ to read her correspondence with him. Sarah also resigned from the Youth Impact Council, a US-based charity that helps young people.
Sarah sent the apology email to Epstein after he threatened to ‘destroy’ her family in a ‘chilling call‘, it was claimed.
The Duchess sent the message in April 2011, describing Epstein as a ‘supreme friend’, after publicly disowning him in the media.
James Henderson, the Duchess’s spokesperson at the time, said the email was sent after a ‘really menacing and nasty’ phone call from the sex offender who had a ‘Hannibal Lecter-type voice’, the Telegraph reported.
According to the outlet, Mr Henderson said: ‘People don’t understand how terrible Epstein was. I can remember everything about that call.
‘It was a chilling call and I’m surprised anybody was ever friends with him given the way he talked to me.
‘He said he would destroy the York family and he was quite clear on that. He said he would destroy me. He wasn’t shouting.
‘He had a Hannibal Lecter-type voice. It was very cold and calm and really menacing and nasty.’
He continued: ‘The pressure she was put under to protect her family must have been huge. I am sure there were legal actions.
‘And this was long before the Duke’s life had been ruined by his association with Epstein. It was 14 years ago and everyone will do what they have to do to protect their family. Her family and children will always come first for her.’
The phone call reportedly took place in the wake of the duchess’s interview with the Evening Standard on March 7 2011, in which she apologised for accepting £15,000 from Epstein.
During the interview, Sarah told the newspaper: ‘I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. I am just so contrite I cannot say.
‘Whenever I can, I will repay the money and have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.’
A little over a month later, the Duchess sent a message to Epstein, reported by The Mail on Sunday, in which she said: ‘I know you feel hellaciously let down by me.
Several charities severed ties with the Duchess this week after it emerged she apologised to paedophile financier Epstein in April 2011 after publicly disowning him in the media
‘And I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that. You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.’
It continued: ‘I was advised in no uncertain terms, to have nothing to do with you and to not speak or email you. And if I did – I would cause more problems to you, the duke and myself. I was broken and lost.
‘So please understand. I didn’t want to hurt Andrew one more time. I was in over-riding fear. I am sorry.’
Following the announcements by the charities on Monday, family members of Virginia Giuffre praised their ‘decisive action’ by cutting ties with Sarah.
Ms Giuffre, who died in Western Australia in April aged 41, was one of the most outspoken accusers of convicted sex offenders Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
In 2022, she settled lawsuit against Andrew for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after she was trafficked by Epstein. He denied the claim and ever meeting Ms Giuffre.
American-born Ms Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, and her sister-in-law Amanda Roberts, said in a statement: ‘It is commendable that these seven charities have cut ties with Sarah Ferguson in light of her connections to Epstein.
‘This decisive action sends a strong message about accountability and the need to confront those who support the horrific child trafficking network established by Epstein and Maxwell.’
They added: ‘It raises important questions about our own efforts in America. Are we doing enough to condemn those complicit in these crimes?
‘We should follow the example set by these organisations and take meaningful steps to protect the vulnerable and uphold justice.’
Ms Giuffre was ‘systematically failed by nearly every powerful institution that was meant to protect her’, they said, before commending the ‘forceful response’ from the charities.
They added: ‘In absence of governmental accountability, we urgently need stronger public condemnation of the men and women involved in propping up Epstein’s horrific child sex trafficking network here in America to begin pursuing real justice.’
Andrew paid millions to settle the civil sexual assault case with Ms Giuffre in 2022, who alleged the duke slept with her on three separate occasions.
Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges. The death was ruled a suicide.
