Real Housewives of Salt Lake City alum Jen Shah stayed away her fellow inmate, Ghislaine Maxwell, during her time at Bryan Federal Prison in Texas.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Jen discussed her “limited interactions” with Ghislaine.
Bad vibes:
Jen, who was released in December 2025 and is now serving the remainder of her sentence under home confinement, was clear that she avoided Ghislaine. “I chose that. I chose to keep my distance.”
Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Holmes, who was convicted of fraud and conspiracy following the collapse of the billion-dollar biotech corporation she founded, became close with Jen in the clink. “Lizzie and I are good friends. As another high-profile prisoner, there are just certain things you’re both dealing with, so you naturally come together in those instances.”
Like Jen, Lizzie “definitely” avoided Ghislaine. According to Jen, the friends felt Ghislaine didn’t feel bad for her sex crimes against children and young women. “I just feel like there should be a level of remorse for the victims.”
“She made it very publicly known — at least to Elizabeth and I — that there’s no remorse there. She outrightly said it.”
Sub-human:
“When the victims would be on TV,” explained Jen, “she was just in complete disregard for them. And this is when they are pouring their hearts out in front of Congress for those files to be released.” Jen couldn’t get past it. “To be so dismissive of that? That just didn’t sit with me the right way.”
With that said, Ghislaine was not ostracized inside the facility. Jen noted Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice appeared to receive preferential treatment. “She was treated very well there.”
Ghislaine was “afforded things that nobody else was afforded, like private workout sessions, special meals, bottled water. Everybody witnessed it, and I know that firsthand because I worked in [recreation]. I would have to clean things up. I was also asked for certain equipment because she was going to go work out late at night.”
“It’s concerning,” Jen continued as she alleged Ghislaine did not have to follow the same legal procedures as other inmates. “There’s a process you have to go through to schedule your legal calls. She would not have to go through the same process.”
