Sarah Ferguson Confronting Allegations About Past Substance Misuse Amid Epstein Scandal

OK! can reveal scandal-mired Sarah Ferguson is once again confronting allegations about past substance misuse after newly released Epstein-related emails revived claims the Duchess once spiraled into what critics described as a fog of medication and desperation.

Ferguson, 66, the former Duchess of York and ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, also 66, has faced decades of outrage over her antics.

The latest scrutiny stems from documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice that reference a 2010 sting operation in which she was filmed offering access to Andrew – then a prince, duke and U.K. trade envoy – in exchange for around $700,000.

During the undercover meeting, she said the cash "opens up everything you would ever wish for."

She added: "I can open any door you want, and I will for you. Look after me and he'll look after you... you'll get it back tenfold."

According to the newly released Epstein files, the financier and his politician pal Peter Mandelson used it to speculate about whether she should tackle her "medication abuse."

Ferguson later described her cash-for-access scandal behavior to Oprah Winfrey, saying about an addiction to food at the time: "I was so out of control with desperation to the point where I'd reached no return."

"Sort of out of my mind. (I was) spiralling so out of control (that) I was looking for the quick fixes in places I wouldn't normally look. Like, anybody that goes through an addiction to food, and addiction to goodness knows what... it's just out-of-control behaviour," she said.

A source familiar with Ferguson's past told us: "There were periods when Sarah was overwhelmed by financial strain, public humiliation and intense scrutiny. In those moments, she was not making clear-headed decisions. The suggestion that medication misuse may have been involved has circulated for years. Whether that was diet pills, prescribed medication or a cocktail of substances, there was a sense she was not entirely present."

The source continued: "Those around her at certain points described her as erratic – with swings in mood, bursts of frenetic energy followed by deep crashes."

"The tabloids labeled her a 'zombie' with 'brain fog,' which was cruel, but it reflected the perception that she was struggling," they concluded.

In 1986, it was alleged there was cocaine use at a Verbier chalet Ferguson frequented.

A decade later, the Daily Mail reported she was a "drug zombie." Ferguson has never admitted to drug abuse, though she has acknowledged addictive behaviors around food and spending.

Another insider said: "The tragedy is that even if there were genuine struggles with substances or mental health, they have become entangled with Sarah's links to Epstein."

Resurfaced allegations about Ferguson's apparent substance abuse issues come after reports she retreated to a $18,000-a-day Swiss wellness clinic as the latest wave of Epstein disclosures engulfed her.

Ferguson is said to have fled the U.K. shortly after Christmas as renewed scrutiny over her association with convicted s-- offender Jeffrey Epstein intensified.

While her former husband, the ex-Prince Andrew, 66, was photographed in Windsor and later on the Sandringham estate as the scandal over their long friendship with the abuser raged, Ferguson largely disappeared from public view after attending her granddaughter Athena's christening at St James's Palace on December 12.

It is now understood she spent several weeks at the Paracelsus Recovery Clinic in Zurich, Switzerland. It's a lavish lakeside facility charging approximately $18,000 per day, or about $140,000 for a three-day assessment and roughly $445,000 for a month-long residential program, based on current exchange rates.

A Swiss source said: "Sarah traveled to Zurich in the immediate aftermath of Christmas and remained there through the end of January, deliberately keeping her movements quiet. She regards Paracelsus as a refuge, somewhere she feels shielded from outside noise and judgment."

The insider continued: "Over the years, she has developed a sense of familiarity with the clinic and its team, and that continuity is important to her. When she feels emotionally exposed or under intense scrutiny, she turns to that environment because she believes she will be met with compassion as well as high-level medical and psychological care. For her, it's less about luxury and more about feeling protected at a time when she feels at her lowest."