Natalie Dormer has officially washed her hands of promoting ITV and BritBox’s upcoming limited series The Lady, in which she portrays Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Dormer’s decision follows a bombshell 2011 email that recently resurfaced, in which Ferguson, despite her previous public denunciation of Jeffrey Epstein, appears to grovel before the convicted s*x offender, calling him a “supreme friend” just weeks after claiming she’d severed all ties with him.
In a statement to Variety, the Game of Thrones star stated:
Since completing the project, new information has come to light that makes it impossible for me to reconcile my values with Sarah Ferguson’s behavior, which I believe is inexcusable. For that reason, I will not be taking part in the promotion of the project.
And she’s not stopping there. Dormer has also donated her entire salary from The Lady to NAPAC (National Association for People Abused in Childhood) and the Centre of Expertise on Child S*xual Abuse. The actress also made it clear that her disassociation is not a critique of the production team: “They are an extraordinary company to collaborate with and I’m grateful for the time we spent together.” Still, her conscience won’t allow her to participate in marketing a drama tied so intimately to someone with such controversial associations.
The Lady, produced by Left Bank Pictures (also behind The Crown), is a four-part, partly fictionalized drama chronicling the life of Jane Andrews, Ferguson’s former royal dresser, who was convicted of murdering her boyfriend in 2001.
Sarah Ferguson Dropped by Charities After Jeffrey Epstein Connection Revealed
In the wake of the email leak, seven UK charities have severed their long-standing affiliations with Sarah Ferguson, citing her disturbing ties to Jeffrey Epstein (per BBC). First to cut ties was Julia’s House, a children’s hospice, calling Ferguson’s continued involvement “inappropriate”.
Then came a domino effect: the Teenage Cancer Trust (her patronage of 35 years), the Children’s Literacy Charity, the British Heart Foundation, Prevent Breast Cancer, Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, and the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals all followed suit.
This tidal wave of exits came after reports published Ferguson’s 2011 email to Epstein, in which she wrote:
You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.
Per the email, she “humbly apologised” to him and “know you feel hellaciously let down by me”. A spokesperson claimed the email was
Sent in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats.
Regardless, the contradiction between her public disavowal and private praise of Epstein has reportedly damaged her credibility and her public image. The scandal’s echoes are hard to ignore. Prince Andrew, Ferguson’s former husband, had already been forced out of royal duties after his ties to Epstein exploded in a disastrous 2019 BBC interview.
Our Take on Natalie Dormer’s Decision to Skip Promoting The Lady
Let’s not sugarcoat it: Natalie Dormer made a bold move and frankly, a principled one. In an industry where many stars choose to stay silent to protect their career or contracts, Game of Thrones alum’s refusal to promote The Lady is nothing short of a moral mic drop. She didn’t just walk away; she rerouted her paycheck to survivors of abuse. That’s integrity.
From her steely portrayal of Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones to leading films like Audrey’s Children and White Lies, Dormer has never been one to play it safe, on or off screen. And her latest move confirms she won’t compromise her ethics, even if it means leaving a major project without her star power.
As for The Lady, it’s unclear how Dormer’s absence will impact the show’s reach when it drops in late 2025 or early 2026. So, can The Lady still succeed without its leading lady’s voice championing it? Share your thoughts, and let us know: would you still watch The Lady?
Game of Thrones is currently available to watch on HBO.
