Sarah Ferguson has ruled out a return to the United States because she's worried about the "reaction" she would face there, an insider has claimed.
The former Duchess of York's whereabouts are currently unknown, and she was last seen in public on December 12 for her granddaughter, Athena's, christening.
Unlike her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who on Tuesday finally moved to his permanent home, Marsh Farm, Sarah reportedly has nowhere to go, having spent brief periods of time in the UAE, the French Alps, and Ireland, in recent months.
Now, a source tells The Mirror that Sarah, 66, has ruled out an important location that could have been a source of sanctuary for her, considering her close links to the country.
Sarah has told those around her that she will "never set foot" in America again, according to the newspaper. She is reportedly "deeply worried" about the reaction she would face and feels that it would be "unbearable".
Will Sarah and Andrew need to testify at Congress?
Sarah previously spent a lot of time in the US to promote her business interests, and once enjoyed a successful career across the pond, working as a correspondent for NBC's Today Show, appearing on Oprah Winfrey's programme and becoming an ambassador for Weight Watchers. She also lived in New York City for a brief period after her divorce from Andrew.
However, she is now allegedly worried she would face scrutiny from victims of Jeffrey Epstein, after new details of their friendship emerged in January.
© WireImageAs a non-US citizen, she is not compelled to appear before Congress, but she was urged to provide information by a US lawmaker last month.
Congressman Suhas Subramanyam wrote the former Duchess a letter, directly applying pressure on her to testify. It read: "As the Committee seeks justice for the survivors of Mr Epstein’s criminal enterprise, and transparency for the American public, I respectfully request your cooperation with the Committee’s investigation."
Her ex-husband Andrew has also faced pressure from US officials to testify. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
© InstagramNew blows for Sarah Ferguson
Last month, reports emerged that Sarah had been "snubbed" over a £1.5million book deal in the United States, and had faced a "string of rejections".
© GettyThen, last week, councillors in York voted unanimously to remove her Freedom of the City of York honour over her links to Epstein.
Liberal Democrat councillor Darryl Smalley said: "We don't expect recipients of York's highest honour to be saints. We simply do not want them to be best friends of convicted paedophiles."
Meanwhile, a report in the Daily Mail over the weekend claimed she has been "sofa surfing" and relying on her high-profile friends to house her amid her nomadic lifestyle. Her daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, meanwhile, are said to have refused to let her stay with them.
In emails to Epstein released in January, Sarah told the convicted sex offender to "just marry me", while others revealed she'd taken her daughters to visit him after he was released from jail.
