Annette Witheridge, Journalist Who Captured Prince Andrew and Epstein Photo, Dies at 66
The acclaimed Fleet Street freelancer was also among the first reporters on the scene after 9/11 and had a career filled with significant scoops.
Annette Witheridge, a highly respected British freelance journalist known for her work covering major international events and securing a pivotal photograph of Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein, has died at the age of 66. Her death followed a short illness, and her family announced the news on social media last Friday, stating they were "devastated."
Witheridge, who was based in New York for 24 years before returning to the UK in 2018, was instrumental in capturing the 2010 photograph of Prince Andrew and the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The image, taken in Central Park, proved crucial in demonstrating their continued friendship two years after Epstein pleaded guilty to sex offenses. The photograph later became a central element in the Netflix film "Scoop."
Witheridge consistently denied any suggestion that the photograph was staged, emphasizing that it was the result of "old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting." She recounted how she and photographer Jae Donnelly waited for hours before Prince Andrew and Epstein emerged from Epstein's New York mansion, allowing Donnelly to capture the image.
Her career began in Britain, where she worked for the Tamworth Herald and Coventry Evening Telegraph before joining the News of the World at age 23. She moved to New York in 1995 and co-founded an agency called Big Apple News. During her time in the United States, she was one of the first reporters to reach the scene of the 9/11 attacks, arriving just two blocks away as the first World Trade Center tower collapsed.
Among her other notable assignments, Witheridge tracked down singer Gary Glitter in Cuba in 1997 after he faced child pornography charges. She also went undercover to tour with the band Oasis and ghostwrote a book with the mother of rapper Eminem. She covered the trial of Louise Woodward, a British au pair convicted of shaking a baby to death in Boston.
Colleagues and friends remembered Witheridge as a talented journalist and a generous host, often sharing stories from her extensive career. Jae Donnelly, the photographer who collaborated with Witheridge on the Epstein-Andrew photo, expressed his sadness, calling her "amazing and kind" and stating he felt "blessed we shared something that made a difference in this world."
Another former colleague, Nick Hudson, who described Witheridge as the "journalistic queen of New York City," recalled her as a shy teenager who grew into a prominent figure in the profession. He credited her tenacity with contributing to the scrutiny of Prince Andrew's past associations.
Witheridge's career spanned decades, during which she contributed to numerous national newspapers, magazines, and television stations worldwide. She often reflected on the significant technological shifts in journalism, from using copy takers and fax machines to the advent of the internet and digital photography.