A lawyer for Ghislaine Maxwell on Thursday released a photo that shows the British socialite who is facing accusations that she helped traffic and groom young girls for sexual abuse by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in a jail cell in 2019.
The photo, which shows a bruise around her left eye, was attached to a filing by Maxwell's attorney Bobbi Sternheim, who said his client does not know the cause of the black eye but was "confronted" by guards at the Metropolitan Detention Center, where the 59-year-old is currently being held, about the bruise and they threatened to put her in a separate housing unit if she did not explain its origin, according to the letter. Here is the photo:
Sternheim Speculates Maxwell Suffered Bruise From Shielding Her Eyes From Flashlights
According to Sternheim, Maxwell ""has grown increasingly reluctant to report information to the guards for fear of retaliation, discipline and punitive chores."
Sternheim asked the court to direct the Brooklyn jail authorities to stop the wellness checks, which occur every 15 minutes to ensure that Maxwell is "still breathing." He speculated that the bruise may have been suffered from Maxwell constantly having to shield her eyes using a sock or towel from the flashlights used during the checks.
What is the 'Black Eye Club'?
The photo of Maxwell's bruised eye has led to a bizarre conspiracy theory on social media that she might be part of a secret society called the "black eye club."
"Our politicians and high ranking people have had black eyes in the past. Maybe she is part of the Black eye club," wrote one Reddit user, while another commented, "it's part of an occult ritual."
Here are some of the reactions on Twitter:
According to the wild theory, celebrities, politicians, and high-profile individuals who have been snapped with black left eyes belong to a secret illuminati society and the bruises are part of an initiation ritual. Pope Francis, Brad Pitt, Barrack Obama, Robert Downey Jr., Prince Andrew, George W. Bush, Prince Philip, Mitt Romney, Adam Sandler and many others have been photographed with a black eye.
As reported by Daily Mail, the black left eye is part of an initiation ritual during which the pledger is said to be forced to endure pain in a quest to become more powerful. According to Sherry Shriner, author of the book Interview With The Devil, leaders and celebrities with black eyes have sold their souls to Satan in a ritual called "soul scalping."
According to her, soul scalping results in a "possession," whereby the human soul is removed and the body taken over by the demonic entity.
