Sarah Ferguson confidantes accused of leaking rehab details to gain sympathy
RadarOnline.com can reveal that Sarah Ferguson’s inner circle is accused of leaking details of her recent alleged stay at a luxury Swiss rehab facility in a bid to regain public sympathy as new investigations into her links to Jeffrey Epstein sweep the House of York.
Ferguson, 66, the former Duchess of York, is said to have quietly left Britain shortly after Christmas to spend several weeks at the $18,000-a-day Paracelsus Recovery Clinic in Zurich, Switzerland.
A Swiss source said Ferguson fled the UK for Zurich just after Christmas and remained there until the end of January. They added that she always feels “at home” at the Paracelsus wellness center, thanks to the “love and attention” given to her at the eye-wateringly expensive facility.
Another friend said Ferguson was left “totally broken” by the public release of her emails to Epstein.
The lakeside facility where she is apparently holed up, founded by Jan Gerber, markets itself as a discreet retreat that offers customized treatment for addiction, trauma, burnout and depression.
Packages can cost $148,000 for a three-day check-up or $470,000 for a month-long residential program, where clients are assigned a team of at least 15 experts and provided with private chefs, drivers and penthouse accommodation.
Ferguson has previously spoken publicly about her experiences there. In June, she wrote on Facebook: “I recently spent time at Paracelsus Recovery in Zurich, a clinic known for its discreet, tailored care for people dealing with complex mental health and addiction issues, to learn more. What I found was not just a center of clinical excellence, but a place of deep humanity.”
But some insiders have suggested that the publicity surrounding her stay may not have been coincidental.
One source said: “There is a growing belief that details of the clinic were allowed to emerge to soften its image. By framing it as a mental health haven, we hope the narrative shifts from scandal to vulnerability.”
Another insider said: “Sarah understands the power of perception. Presenting herself as someone seeking help and healing invites compassion at a time when Epstein’s revelations have been deeply damaging.”
“Her inner circle hoped that leaking details about her stay at the wellness center would win her a sympathy vote.”
Emails released by the Justice Department showed Ferguson turned to Epstein for financial help and apologized for publicly distancing herself from him. The correspondence also revealed that she took her daughters, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, to lunch with Epstein days after his release from prison.
Both daughters have tried to rebuild their public profiles.
Another source said: ‘Sarah is acutely aware that her public reputation has taken a serious hit and that simply returning to Britain as if nothing has happened is not an option. She believes she needs to draw a line under this chapter and reposition herself.
“By speaking openly about seeking treatment and confronting past traumas, she is trying to change the conversation.
“The emphasis on mental health and recovery is intended to show reflection and responsibility, to indicate that she is working on herself and hopes to return to public life with a different tone and renewed purpose.”
