Ghislaine Maxwell can be seen with a black eye in a picture released by the British socialite's lawyers.
Maxwell, 59, is awaiting a scheduled July trial in a U.S. prison over Jeffrey Epstein-related sex trafficking offenses, to which she pleaded not guilty last week.
She is accused of helping convicted pedophile Epstein recruit and sexually abuse girls. She has denied all charges.
Maxwell reportedly told her lawyers the bruise might come from having to shield her eyes from the light that guards repeatedly shine on her, apparently to verify that she is still breathing.
The photo of a bruised Maxwell comes amid her lawyers' ongoing complaints about her conditions in jail and failed bail attempts, according to The Guardian.
Bobbi Sternheim, a lawyer representing Maxwell, shared the photo with New York Judge Alison Nathan this week.
He explained that Maxwell was not sure how she got the bruise and that guards had confronted her over it, threatening to move her to a special housing unit.
Ghislaine Maxwell is pictured with a black eye in a photo from prison issued by her lawyers.Court filing/Getty
"While Ms. Maxwell is unaware of the cause of the bruise, as reported to medical and psych staff, she has grown increasingly reluctant to report information to the guards for fear of retaliation, discipline, and punitive chores," said Sternheim, according to the BBC.
Judge Nathan ordered an explanation regarding the sleep deprivation claims and asked for information on if, and why, night-time surveillance is being conducted on Maxwell.
In Maxwell's fourth failed bail attempt, her legal team claimed prison guards were shining a light in her eyes every 15 minutes.
The Independent quoted a court filing, which read: "The idea that she has an eye mask is wrong. She either uses a sock or a towel to block out the light on her own."
The Rise and Fall of Ghislaine Maxwell, In Photos
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Tenerife, Death of British magnate and politician Robert Maxwell. Here, her daughter Ghislaine Maxwell on her father's yacht "Le Lady Ghislaine". In the early 2000s, she will be the companion of businessman Jeffrey Epstein Mathieu Polak/Sygma via Getty Images
Tenerife, Death of British magnate and politician Robert Maxwell. Here, her daughter Ghislaine Maxwell on her father's yacht "Le Lady Ghislaine". In the early 2000s, she will be the companion of businessman Jeffrey Epstein Mathieu Polak/Sygma via Getty ImagesGhislaine Maxwell in Tenerife in 2000. She awaits trail on Jeffrey Epstein-related trafficking charges in July.MATTHEW POLAK/Getty ImagesSocialite Ghislaine Maxwell attends Cartier's "Le Baiser du Dragon" honoring New Yorkers for Children on May 6, 2003 at the Cartier Mansion in New York City. Mark Mainz/Getty ImagesDonald Trump and his then girlfriend (and future wife), former model Melania Knauss, financier (and future convicted sex offender) Jeffrey Epstein, and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000. Davidoff Studios/Getty ImagesGhislaine Maxwell (L) and model Naomi Campbell (R) at the Rosa Cha Post-Show Celebration party hosted by Campbell and NC Connect at Man Ray on September 19, 2002 in New York City.Mark Mainz/Getty ImagesGhislaine Maxwell attends the Girls Night Out hosted by Elizabeth Saltzman and Harvey Nichols to celebrate the U.K. launch of New York fashion designer Tory Burch's new stall on May 24, 2006, in London, England. Dave M. Benett/GettyRoyal Ascot Race Meeting Thursday - Ladies Day. Prince Andrew, Duke Of York and Ghislaine Maxwell At Ascot. With them are Edward (far left) and Caroline Stanley (far right), the Earl and Countess of Derby. Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty ImagesCountess of Derby and Ghislaine Maxwell attend Tatler's 100 Most Invited Party 2003, at The Belvedere Restaurant in Holland Park, London.Dave Benett/Getty ImagesBritish socialite Ghislaine Maxwell attends the "La Dolce Vita" party in aid of the "Cantor Fitzgerald Fund" held at Stowe School on July 20, 2003 in London. Dave Benett/Getty ImagesGhislaine Maxwell in a hat by Philip Treacy during Philip Treacy Shows His Spring 2003 Hat Collection at Bergdorf's at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City, N.Y., United States. Stephen Lovekin/Getty/FilmMagicLady Victoria Hervey Designer, Ghislaine Maxwell and designer Shizue Nobuta who attended the Shizue handbag Oscar preview launch party hosted by Tamara Beckwith and sponsored by Moet and Chandon on February 25, 2004 in Hollywood, California. Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesGhislaine Maxwell attends the 4th Annual WIE Symposium at Center 548 on September 20, 2013 in New York City. Paul Zimmerman/Getty/WireImageGhislaine Maxwell attends the ETM 2014 Children's Benefit Gala at Capitale on May 6, 2014 in New York City. Paul Zimmerman/Getty/WireImageGhislaine Maxwell is pictured with a black eye after lawyers for the British socialite release a new photo from prison.Court filing
Born in December 1961, Ghislaine Maxwell is the daughter of publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell.
She was a wealthy British socialite who studied at Oxford University before eventually going to New York where her high profile party-planning work earned her the nickname "Goodtimes Ghislaine," according to The Sun newspaper. This is when she is said to have started dating then-financier Jeffrey Epstein.
A wealthy and well connected member of the elite class, Maxwell mixed with the likes of Prince Andrew and the Clintons and was photographed with Donald and Melania Trump.
In 2015, a woman called Virginia Roberts filed a legal complaint in Florida, which accused Maxwell of soliciting minors for Epstein and his powerful friends to sexually abuse.
Maxwell denies sex trafficking charges and perjury and is due for trial in July.
