Annette Witheridge, Journalist Who Secured Andrew and Epstein Photo, Dies at 66
Fleet Street freelancer's career included coverage of 9/11 and an interview with Eminem's mother.
Annette Witheridge, a respected British freelance journalist known for her role in capturing a pivotal photograph of Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein, has died at the age of 66. Her death followed a short illness, according to a statement from her family.
Witheridge, working with photographer Jae Donnelly, obtained the 2010 photograph of the Duke of York and the convicted sex offender in New York's Central Park. The image proved crucial in demonstrating the continued friendship between the two men, two years after Epstein pleaded guilty to child sex charges. The photograph was later published by the News of the World in February 2011 under the headline "Prince Andy and the Paedo."
In an appearance on ITV's Lorraine in April 2024, Witheridge recounted how she and Donnelly were alerted to Andrew's presence in New York and staked out Epstein's mansion. She described hearing British accents from men talking into their cufflinks, indicating the presence of the royal protection squad. The photograph, she asserted, was the result of "old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting" and not staged, contrary to some speculation.
Witheridge's career began in the UK, with early work at the Tamworth Herald and Coventry Evening Telegraph before she joined the News of the World at age 23. She relocated to New York in 1995, establishing the agency Big Apple News with journalist Allan Hall. During her time in the U.S., she covered significant events, including being one of the first reporters on the scene following the 9/11 attacks, arriving before barricades were in place.
Her reporting also included tracking down singer Gary Glitter in Cuba in 1997 after he faced child pornography charges. Witheridge also went undercover to tour with the band Oasis and co-wrote the autobiography of Marshall Mathers' mother, Deborah Nelson, titled "My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem."
Witheridge retired in 2018 after 24 years based in New York and returned to the UK. Colleagues remembered her as a generous host and a skilled storyteller, recounting tales from her extensive career. Journalist Nick Hudson noted her role in "bring[ing] down a majesty in waiting," while Matthew Steeples stated her tenacious approach led to Prince Andrew facing scrutiny over his declared friendship with Epstein.
She was portrayed by actress Kate Fleetwood in the 2024 Netflix film "Scoop," which dramatized the events surrounding the photograph and the royal's association with Epstein. Witheridge's career spanned contributions to every national newspaper in Britain, as well as numerous magazines and television stations worldwide. Friends and colleagues have lauded her as an "excellent journalist and even better person."