Sarah ‘Fergie’ Ferguson reportedly spent a month at the world’s most expensive wellness and mental health clinic in Switzerland amid revelations and new scrutiny about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
The 66-year-old former Duchess of York is said to have checked into the renowned Paracelsus Recovery Clinic in Zurich just after Christmas, with the stay reportedly lasting until the end of January.
The luxury facility charges around £13,000 a day (about AUD $25,000).
Sources told the Mail UK that Ferguson, who has previously carried out influencer work for the clinic, turned to the retreat at a time when she was feeling under pressure.
“She always feels at home at Paracelsus, and knows she’ll get love and attention there, as well as expert health treatment when shes feeling at her most vulnerable,” one source said.
Another friend described her as “absolutely crushed” by the release of the Epstein files, which included email exchanges between Ferguson and the convicted paedophile.
“Sarah has built up a strong relationship with Paracelsus, so it was the obvious place for her to get away from everything,” they said.
Back in June, Ferguson wrote about her experience at Paracelsus in an opinion piece for the Telegraph, detailing her struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“I’ve always known there were issues I needed to address, stemming frommy childhood and my time in the public eye,” she wrote.
“All of this inspired my recent visit to Paracelsus Recovery in Zurich, which kindly hosted me as a guest.
“I am not embarrassed to reveal the clinic offered me a sanctuary, renowned as it is for its bespoke, cutting-edge treatment for those grappling with mental health and addiction issues –particularly those whose struggles are often hidden behind the facade of a public role.”
She also appeared in a promotional video alongside Paracelsus CEO Jan Gerber, telling viewers: “When I walk away from Paracelsus Recovery, I will take away nuggets in my pocket. I will tell the world publicly that I’ve found a safe haven, a nurturing oasis, a place where I can feel not judged.”
According to the clinic’s website, Paracelsus specialises in treating “one client at a time”, with at least 15 experts- including doctors, therapists and nutritionists- creating “a space where you can feel safe, understood and fully supported”.
A three-day “comprehensive check-up” costs around £110,000 (AUD $209,000), while a fully customised one-month residential program is priced at approximately £350,000 (AUD $666,400).
“Celebrities, oligarchs, and royalty who stay here are given top-tier treatment and access to the best addiction treatment providers anywhere,” the clinic states.
“Clients stay in a penthouse with lake views and have access to concierge and limousine services as well as a personal chef, butler, and an on-site therapist.”
Ferguson has long faced reports about financial struggles, and it has been claimed that her stay at the clinic was provided free of charge in exchange for publicity.
“That stay, and presumably the most recent one, was gratis in exchange for publicity,” American journalist Paula Froelich wrote in her Inside Scoop Substack.
“She (Fergie) doesn’t have any money. She is broke and as we all know, loves a freebie,” a source told Froelich.
The renewed attention comes after the US Department of Justice released more than three million documents on January 30 as part of the Epstein files- including emails reportedly showing Fergie asking Epstein for financial assistance.
In one 2010 message, the mother-of-two asked Epstein outright to hire her as his “house assistant”, writing: “I am the most capable and desperately need the money. Please Jeffrey think about it.”
In another exchange, she asked whether she could borrow “$50 or 100,000 US dollars to help get through the small bills.”
According to Froelich, Ferguson is said to be “terrified” of being arrested over her association with Epstein, similar to her former husband, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
“The newly released Epstein files have put Fergie’s freebies in a far more troubling light,” Froelich said.
Following her reported stay at Paracelsus, Ferguson is believed to have spent time in both the French Alps and the United Arab Emirates.
She is now thought to be lying low in Doha, Qatar, as she attempts to “get her head together” and plan her next move.