Pretrial makeover! Ghislaine Maxwell shows off freshly-dyed black roots and new bob haircut and ditches prison jumpsuit for a black turtleneck and slacks at court hearing ahead of sex trafficking trial

  • Ghislaine Maxwell was sporting a much more glamorous look at a pre-trial hearing in New York on Monday 
  • The British socialite, 59, appeared in federal court with freshly-dyed black roots and a shoulder-length bob 
  • She also ditched her a prison jumpsuit for a black turtle neck and gray pants 
  • Maxwell was previously seen in court looking haggard with graying, long hair - a drastic change to her signature pixie cut she's had over the years 
  • The Bureau of Prisons sells hair dye in the commissary to inmates for $9.50 and comes in a range of colors, including black 
  • She debuted her new look a day before the final jurors - who will decide her fate at her sex trafficking trial this month - are set to be selected  
  • Maxwell has been awaiting trial in New York's notorious Metropolitan Detention Center, where she has spent past 16 months in solitary confinement 

It looks like Ghislaine Maxwell has had a jailhouse makeover as she prepares to stand trial on sex trafficking charges later this month. 

The British socialite, 59, appeared much more glamorous in court on Monday, having styled her straggly hair into a shoulder-length bob with her graying roots touched up and dyed black. 

Maxwell's hair, which had grown out from her signature pixie cut, looked recently washed and noticeably more lustrous than her last appearance last week.

She also ditched her prison issued blue top and pants for street clothes - a black turtleneck and gray slacks.   

She appeared healthier and more relaxed than she had in months as she attended a pretrial hearing in which the judge spoke about how she will proceed with jury selection tomorrow, at federal court in New York.

Ghislaine Maxwell was sporting a much more glamorous look at a pre-trial hearing in New York on Monday, ditching her prison jumpsuit for a black turtleneck and gray pants

Ghislaine Maxwell was sporting a much more glamorous look at a pre-trial hearing in New York on Monday, ditching her prison jumpsuit for a black turtleneck and gray pants 

The British socialite, 59, also styled her straggly hair into a shoulder-length bob with her graying roots touched up and dyed black

The British socialite, 59, also styled her straggly hair into a shoulder-length bob with her graying roots touched up and dyed black

Maxwell, 59, who is accused of procuring underage girls for pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, is set to stand trial on sex trafficking charges on November 29. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges

 Maxwell, 59, who is accused of procuring underage girls for pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, is set to stand trial on sex trafficking charges on November 29. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges

Maxwell's newfound confidence was apparent at the end of the hour-long hearing when she stood face to face with her lawyer Jeff Pagliuca.

Pagliuca smoothed a few loose strands of Maxwell's hair from her face in an affectionate moment between the two.

Maxwell's makeover came the day before the selection of the final jurors who will decide her fate on allegations she trafficked and procured underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein.

The process will begin Tuesday and during today's hearing Judge Alison Nathan said that the pool of 600 people had already been whittled down to 231 after they answered a questionnaire about their availability.

Maxwell's legal team has repeatedly made claims about her alleged mistreatment behind bars. She is shown in prison earlier this year with 'a black eye'

Maxwell's legal team has repeatedly made claims about her alleged mistreatment behind bars. She is shown in prison earlier this year with 'a black eye' 

Given that Maxwell is incarcerated in the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, her makeover was likely done by herself.

The Bureau of Prisons sells hair dye in the commissary to inmates for $9.50 and comes in a range of colors, including black. 

Maxwell talked about cutting her own hair in prison in her first-ever jailhouse interview over the weekend.

Maxwell said her guards were 'impressed when I cut my hair with nail clippers and it was somewhat straight'.

She said: 'I only had a 3in by 5in mirror. They rewarded me with paper scissors and suggested I might want to open a salon'.  

The next phase of jury selection, known as voir dire, is due to begin Tuesday and opening statements in the case are set to take place on November 29.

Prospective jurors have already answered a questionnaire including questions like whether or not they were biased against people with 'luxurious lifestyles' and if they were aware of the MeToo movement.

During the hearing, Judge Nathan said she hoped that this week she could get down to a pool of 50-60 potential jurors by questioning them individually in court over three days .

Last week, Maxwell was seen sporting longer, graying hair, and was dressed in blue prison scrubs

Last week, Maxwell was seen sporting longer, graying hair, and was dressed in blue prison scrubs

The British socialite has appeared noticeably haggard at her court appearances since she was jailed last summer
Ghislaine Maxwell is escorted into the courtroom by U.S. marshalls on November 10

The British socialite has appeared noticeably haggard at her court appearances since she was jailed last summer. She is pictured left in July 2020 and right last week 

From there the final 12 who will serve on the jury for the trial, which is expected to last six weeks, will be chosen.

Judge Nathan said that she would rule on a number of outstanding issues before or during a final pretrial conference on November 23rd.

That includes whether the third of four accusers, who is thought to be British, will be allowed to give evidence.

Judge Nathan said that the jury will sit between Christmas and New Year, though they would be off the 23rd and 24th of December, and the 30th and 31st of the month.

Among the other issues that came up was a subpoena to a victim that Maxwell's lawyers requested on Sunday evening.

Judge Nathan said that the subpoena should be issued to the woman and that prosecutors could oppose it later.

Maxwell's lawyer Christian Everdell said there was an issue with some 'border crossing records' and the prosecution said they would work to resolve it.

Prosecutor Maurene Comey said that another issue still to be resolved was the 'authentication of birth certificates,' but she did not specify which accuser it related to. 

Maxwell, 59, denies eight counts that could see her jailed for 80 years if she is found guilty. 

Maxwell's hair, which had grown out from her signature pixie cut, looked recently washed and noticeably more lustrous than her last appearance last week. She is pictured in 2013

Maxwell's hair, which had grown out from her signature pixie cut, looked recently washed and noticeably more lustrous than her last appearance last week. She is pictured in 2013

In a world exclusive published in The Mail on Sunday, Ghislaine Maxwell has spoken of the hell of her life in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, saying that conditions are so bad a rat would sit beside an open sewer in her cell as she went to the toilet (Pictured: Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein at an event in New York in 1995)

In a world exclusive published in The Mail on Sunday, Ghislaine Maxwell has spoken of the hell of her life in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, saying that conditions are so bad a rat would sit beside an open sewer in her cell as she went to the toilet (Pictured: Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein at an event in New York in 1995)

Maxwell spoke to The Mail on Sunday for the first time about her 'living hell' behind bars – claiming that she has been assaulted and abused by prison guards, purposely deprived of sleep and given rotting food to eat.

In a world exclusive, Maxwell, who had her $28million (£21M) bail application denied for the fourth time last week, also claims negative media coverage while she has been in custody and the deliberate withholding of evidence have made it 'impossible' for her to receive a fair trial.

Speaking from her 10ft by 12ft prison cell inside New York's notorious Metropolitan Detention Center, where she has spent the past 16 months in solitary confinement, Maxwell said: 'I have been assaulted and abused for almost a year and a half.

'I have not had a nutritious meal in all that time. I haven't slept without lights on – fluorescent lights that have damaged my eyes – or been allowed to sleep without constant interruptions.

'I am weak, I am frail. I have no stamina. I am tired. I don't even have shoes which fit properly. They feed me rotten food. One apple had maggots in it. I have not been allowed to exercise.'  

The Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn where Ghislaine Maxwell, the alleged accomplice of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, is awaiting trial

The Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn where Ghislaine Maxwell, the alleged accomplice of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, is awaiting trial

Maxwell faces the rest of her life behind bars if convicted of abusing and procuring young girls for billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein – charges that she vehemently denies. 

Her lawyers are expected to argue she is being punished by proxy for Epstein's heinous crimes because, as one source close to the case maintains, 'someone has to pay for what he did'.

Maxwell has told friends: 'I fear it will be impossible to get a fair trial. I have tremendous fear that overwhelmingly negative media stories will poison my jury pool and affect the outcome of my trial despite the evidence that will demonstrate everything the jurors thought they knew isn't true.

'I look forward to finally having my day in court to prove I played no part in Epstein's crimes.'

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.