Virginia Giuffre, Key Accuser of Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew, Dies at 41

Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused Prince Andrew of Britain and other powerful figures of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, has passed away at the age of 41.

Her publicist has confirmed that Giuffre died by suicide on Friday at her farm located in Western Australia.

Her family released a statement saying, “Virginia was a courageous fighter against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was a beacon of hope for numerous survivors. Despite the challenges she faced, she shone brightly and will be deeply missed.”

Dini von Mueffling, her publicist, remembered Giuffre as “deeply loving, wise, and funny.”

Von Mueffling shared in a statement, “She loved her children and animals. She was always more concerned about others than herself. I will miss her immensely, and it was an honor to represent her.”

Giuffre, originally from the United States and a long-time resident of Australia, became a prominent advocate for survivors of sex trafficking after becoming a key figure in the downfall of Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein, a wealthy and well-connected New York financier, committed suicide in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges in the U.S. These charges involved numerous teenage girls and young women, some as young as 14. The charges followed an initial investigation that started 14 years earlier in Palm Beach, Florida, where police investigated allegations of Epstein sexually abusing underage girls hired for massages.

Giuffre publicly came forward after the initial investigation resulted in an 18-month Florida jail sentence for Epstein. He had made a secret deal to avoid federal prosecution by pleading guilty to less severe state charges of soliciting prostitution and was released in 2009.

In subsequent lawsuits, Giuffre stated that she was a teenage spa worker at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach club, when Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s girlfriend and later employee, approached her in 2000.

Giuffre claimed that Maxwell hired her as a masseuse for Epstein, but the couple essentially turned her into a sexual servant, pressuring her to satisfy Epstein and his associates. She stated that she was flown around the world for encounters with men, including Prince Andrew, when she was 17 and 18.

The men denied these allegations and questioned Giuffre’s credibility. She admitted to altering some key details of her account, including the age she first met Epstein.

However, many parts of her story were corroborated by documents, witness statements, and photos, including one of her and Andrew with his arm around her waist in Maxwell’s London townhouse.

Giuffre claimed in one of her lawsuits to have had sex with Prince Andrew three times: in London during her 2001 trip, at Epstein’s New York mansion when she was 17, and in the Virgin Islands when she was 18.

In September 2019, Giuffre stated, “Ghislaine said, ‘I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein.'”

Prince Andrew has firmly denied Giuffre’s accusations and claimed he did not remember meeting her.

His denials backfired during a November 2019 BBC interview, where he offered unusual justifications, such as disputing Giuffre’s recollection of sweaty dancing by stating he was medically unable to perspire, and showed no sympathy for Epstein’s victims.

Within days of the interview, Andrew stepped down from his royal duties. In 2022, he reached a settlement with Giuffre for an undisclosed amount, agreeing to donate to her survivors’ organization. A court statement indicated that the prince acknowledged Epstein as a sex trafficker and Giuffre as a victim of abuse.

She also filed lawsuits against Epstein and others linked to him, settling some cases. In one instance, she withdrew claims against a U.S. attorney, suggesting she might have mistakenly identified him as one of the men Epstein supplied her to.

Epstein’s suicide ended his accusers’ hopes of holding him criminally responsible.

Maxwell was found guilty in 2021 on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and received a 20-year prison sentence. She maintained she was not responsible for Epstein’s abuse.

Prosecutors chose not to include Giuffre’s allegations in the Maxwell case, but Giuffre later told the court that Maxwell had “opened the door to hell.”

Born Virginia Roberts, Giuffre recounted to interviewers that her childhood was marred by sexual abuse as a young child by someone her family knew. She later ran away from home and suffered further abuse.

She said she met her husband in 2002 while training in massage therapy in Thailand at Epstein’s encouragement. She married, relocated to Australia, and started a family.

Giuffre established an advocacy charity, SOAR, in 2015.

Giuffre separated from her husband and children this year. She had been charged with violating a family violence restraining order in February and was scheduled to appear in court in Perth in June, where her estranged husband and children reside.

She had not yet entered a plea to the charge, which carried a potential maximum sentence of two years in prison upon conviction.

Her publicist reported last month that Giuffre was hospitalized after a serious accident. Details regarding the date, location, nature, or other specifics of the accident were not provided at the time, nor was the accuracy of an Instagram post that seemed to be from Giuffre. The post indicated that she had been in a car struck by a school bus, and her prognosis was dire.

She is survived by her three children, described in the statement as the “light of her life.”

Sigrid McCawley, Giuffre’s attorney, stated, “Her courage motivated me to fight harder, and her strength was inspiring. The world has lost an incredible person today. Rest in peace, my sweet angel.”

The AP generally does not identify individuals who report being victims of sexual assault unless they have publicly come forward.

—Associated Press writer Rod McGuirk in Melbourne, Australia, contributed to this report.

If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental-health crisis or contemplating suicide, call or text 988. In emergencies, call 911, or seek care from a local hospital or mental health provider.

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