By Molly Claire Goddard
11:51am PST, Feb 11, 2026
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According to PR expert
Renae Smith, Sarah Ferguson may be able to salvage her image if she stays away from
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. "For Fergie, the guidance would be to separate her identity from his as much as possible, but quietly," she told
Daily Express.
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In Renae Smith's opinion, Sarah Ferguson's connection with Jeffrey Epstein is different from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was also accused of misconduct. "Fergie's situation is actually more complex, but in my opinion, still very constrained," she said. "From what's publicly available, there is nothing I have seen that suggests direct wrongdoing on her part. Admiration or proximity to Jeffrey Epstein reflects very questionable judgment, but not equivalence. That said, of course optics matter."
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Instead of trying to fix the damage over her friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, Sarah Ferguson should keep a low profile. "No declarations, no public statements, no attempt at explanations of her emails admiring Jeffrey, no press-led repositioning," Renae Smith said. "Let time do the work. Silence is not weakness here. It is the least damaging option."
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While rumors have swirled that Sarah Ferguson is already planning a public return, Renae Smith thinks it would be a hasty decision. "If I were advising her, I would be strongly discouraging any idea of a reinvention or comeback at this point," she said. "This is not the moment to go large, reposition or seek visibility. That would be a serious misread of public sentiment. I think it would be career suicide to try anything this year, and perhaps even next. It really depends on how all of this plays out — but for now, absolutely not. No way."
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King Charles III stripped Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of their titles and evicted them from Royal Lodge over their connection to Jeffrey Epstein. "You are a legend. I really don't have the words to describe my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness," the former Duchess of York wrote to the convicted criminal in a 2010 email via
People. "I am at your service. Just marry me."
