Virginia Giuffre, woman who accused Prince Andrew, Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, has died
Epstein abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre dead at 41
Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein of trafficking her as a teenager has, has died by suicide at the age of 41.
If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
Virginia Giuffre, the woman who has accused Jeffery Epstein and Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, has died by suicide. She was 41.
Giuffre died on Thursday, according to a family statement obtained by the BBC.
"She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking," the family statement read.
"Deeply loving, wise and funny, she was a beacon to other survivors and victims," publicist Dini von Mueffling said in a statement. "She adored her children and many animals. She was always more concerned with me than with herself. I will miss her beyond words. It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her."
The American-born Giuffre, who lived in Australia for years, became an advocate for sex trafficking survivors after emerging as a central figure in Epstein’s prolonged downfall.
FILE - Virginia Roberts Giuffre holds a photo of herself as a teen, when she says she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Prince Andrew, among others. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Giuffre lawsuits against Epstein, Prince Andrew
Dig deeper:
Giuffre came forward publicly after the initial investigation into Epstein ended in an 18-month Florida jail term for the wealthy money manager, who made a secret deal to avoid federal prosecution by pleading guilty instead to relatively minor state-level charges of soliciting prostitution. He was released in 2009.
In subsequent lawsuits, Giuffre said she was a teenage spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago — President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach club — when she was approached in 2000 by Epstein’s girlfriend and later employee, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Giuffre said Maxwell hired her as a masseuse for Epstein, but the couple effectively made her a sexual servant.
Giuffre said she was flown around the world for assignations with men including Prince Andrew, while she was 17 and 18.
The men denied it and assailed Giuffre’s credibility. She acknowledged changing some key details of her account, including the age at which she first met Epstein.
Andrew categorically rejected Giuffre’s allegations and said he didn’t recall having met her.
His denials blew up in his face during a November 2019 BBC interview. Viewers saw a prince who proffered curious rebuttals and showed no empathy for the women who said Epstein abused them.
Within days of the interview, Andrew stepped down from his royal duties. He settled with Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, agreeing to make a "substantial donation" to her survivors’ organization. A statement filed in court said that the prince acknowledged Epstein was a sex trafficker and Giuffre "an established victim of abuse."
RELATED: Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre seriously injured after wreck
Car accident
Earlier this month, Giuffre was invoved in a high-speed crash involving a school bus.
The injuries Giuffre sustained led to kidney failure and her prognosis was dire.
What they're saying:
"This year has been the worst start to a new year, but I won’t bore anyone with the details but I think it [is] important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110km (about 70 mph) as we were slowing for a turn that no matter what your car is made of it might as well be a tin can," Giuffre posted along with an image of herself showing bruises on her face, head and torso from a hospital bed.
"I’ve gone into kidney renal failure, they’ve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology."
The Source: Information for this article was taken from reporting by The Associated Press, People and the BBC. This story was reported from Los Angeles.