The BBC has admitted Alan Dershowitz should not have been interviewed as an "impartial analyst" on the Ghislaine Maxwell verdict given his own ties to the allegations.
BBC World News drew criticism on Wednesday after having the lawyer on to discuss Maxwell being convicted on sex-trafficking charges even though Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre has alleged she was forced to have sex with Dershowitz by Maxwell and Epstein, which he denies. Dershowitz has also served as a lawyer for Epstein. On Thursday, BBC News said the interview fell short of its editorial standards.
"Last night's interview with Alan Dershowitz after the Ghislaine Maxwell verdict did not meet the BBC's editorial standards, as Mr. Dershowitz was not a suitable person to interview as an impartial analyst, and we did not make the relevant background clear to our audience," BBC News said. "We will look into how this happened."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Dershowitz was introduced on BBC World News as a constitutional lawyer who would be providing analysis about Maxwell's conviction, though Dershowitz brought up the fact that Giuffre has "accused me" during the appearance as he claimed the government "didn't believe that [Giuffre] was telling the truth." MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan described the interview with Dershowitz as "one of the most shocking things the BBC has done in years."
Dershowitz also appeared on Fox News Wednesday after Maxwell's conviction. Host Pete Hegseth began the discussion by telling viewers, "Full disclosure: Professor Dershowitz once represented Epstein and is currently being sued by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre for defamation." He went on to ask for Dershowitz's takeaway on the verdict "as someone who has been caught up in this."
-
The week's best photosIn Pictures A silver-painted boy, a raging flood, and more
-
Roblox, one of the world's most popular video games, has become a bastion of hate speechThe Explainer The platform has over 111 million daily users
-
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 23, hits EU officesSpeed Read The strike was the second-largest since Russia invaded in 2022
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
