Natalie Dormer donates entire ITV drama salary to sexual-abuse charities after Sarah Ferguson–Epstein email controversy

Natalie Dormer says she will donate her entire salary for playing Sarah Ferguson in the ITV drama The Lady to charities that support victims of sexual abuse, and she will not participate in promotional duties for the project. In a statement, the actress, 43, said new information had emerged that made it impossible for her to reconcile her values with Ferguson’s behavior. “Since completing the project, new information has come to light that makes it impossible for me to reconcile my values with Sarah Ferguson's behaviour, which I believe is inexcusable,” Dormer said. “For that reason, I will not be taking part in the promotion of the project.” In keeping with her commitment to the wellbeing of children, she added that she would donate her entire salary to a sexual-abuse charity and would step back from promotion.

The drama, in which Dormer portrays the Duchess of York, centers on the downfall of Jane Andrews, Ferguson’s former dresser, who was jailed in 2001 for murdering her partner. The official synopsis describes a young working-class woman who rose from Grimsby to a position within Buckingham Palace’s inner circle before a dramatic fall from grace, with the series tracing the unraveling of her relationship with a wealthy businessman. The project’s premise has drawn renewed scrutiny to Ferguson’s public and private actions during and after her royal tenure.

The controversy surrounding Ferguson intensified after it emerged she sent an apology to Jeffrey Epstein in April 2011, following her earlier public disavowal of him in relation to his sex-offense convictions. A number of charities severed ties with the Duchess after the email came to light, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, Julia’s House, Prevent Breast Cancer, The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals. The British Heart Foundation said Ferguson was no longer a serving ambassador. The Telegraph reported that Ferguson described Epstein as a “supreme friend” in the message and that she had been advised to cut ties with him, citing a tense phone call in which Epstein, described by a company spokesperson as having a “Hannibal Lecter-type voice,” warned that he would destroy the Duchess’s family.

In the months surrounding the emails, James Henderson, Ferguson’s former spokesperson, said family protection pressures and concerns about potential legal actions helped frame the Duchess’s communications. He recalled how Epstein had demanded more access and suggested that the Duchess’s relationship with him could complicate her family’s well-being. The Telegraph’s reporting also highlighted how the Duchess had previously apologized for accepting money from Epstein and affirmed she would repay it, while maintaining that she would do everything possible to ensure her family’s safety.

Beyond the UK’s royal-and-scandal frame, the public record ties Epstein to a broader, long-running criminal case involving his alleged sex trafficking network. In 2022, Andrew, the Duke of York, settled a civil claim brought by Virginia Giuffre for an undisclosed sum after she alleged he had sexual encounters with her when she was 17. Epstein died in a Manhattan federal jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges; his death was ruled a suicide. Giuffre’s supporters and family members later commented on the impact of Ferguson’s alliances and the charities’ withdrawal of support, urging accountability for all who appeared to enable abuse and trafficking.

Dormer’s decision to donate the salary and disengage from promotional duties reflects a broader push in entertainment and philanthropy to separate artistic work from associations with individuals who have faced grievous allegations or proven misconduct. Industry observers note that such actions can carry financial and reputational risks for productions, but performers increasingly press for alignment between personal values and professional commitments.

For The Lady, the controversy arrives as the TV project’s portrayal of Jane Andrews—who killed her partner Tom Cressman in 2000—continues to generate conversation about power, loyalty, and the consequences of personal choices within intimate relationships. Dormer’s public stance adds a new dimension to the narrative, signaling to audiences that accountability and child-protection concerns are as central to the production’s reception as its dramatic subject matter.