Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew of sexual abuse and sex trafficking, has died. She was 41.
Giuffre’s family confirmed her death, which occurred on Thursday, April 24, in Neergabby, Australia via a statement made to People.
“Giuffre lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking,” her family said via the statement on Friday, April 25. “Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors. Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure. The light of her life were her children Christian, Noah, and Emily.”
“It was when she held her newborn daughter in her arms that Virginia realized she had to fight back against those who had abused her and so many others,” the statement continued. “There are no words that can express the grave loss we feel today with the passing of our sweet Virginia. She was heroic and will always be remembered for her incredible courage and loving spirit. In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight. We know that she is with the angels.”
Giuffre’s attorney, Sigrid McCawley, also paid tribute following her death via a statement.
“Virginia was much more than a client to me; she was a dear friend and an incredible champion for other victims,” McCawley said. “Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring. The world has lost an amazing human being today. Rest in peace, my sweet angel.”
The news comes less than a month after Giuffre claimed via Instagram she had “only days to live” following a bus accident.
Giuffre posted a disturbing photo via Instagram on March 30, and explained that she was hit by a school bus traveling at 110 kilometres per hour (approximately 70 miles per hour). As a result, she claimed that doctors have said she only has four days to live.
“This year has been the worst start to a new year, but I won’t bore anyone with the details but I think it important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110km as we were slowing for a turn that no matter what your car is made of it might as well be a tin can,” she wrote.
“I’ve gone into kidney renal failure, they’ve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology,” she continued. “I’m ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, but you know what they say about wishes. S**T in one hand and wish in the other & I guarantee it’s still going to be s**t at the end of the day. Thank you all for being the wonderful people of the world and for being a great part of my life. Godbless you all xx Virginia 😔🙏🦋.”
Giuffre met former Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell in 2000 while working as a locker room attendant at now-President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. Maxwell introduced Giuffre to Epstein, and the pair later allegedly roped the young woman into their sex trafficking operation. Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019 and died by suicide while in prison that August. In 2021, Maxwell was found guilty of recruiting young women for Epstein to traffic and abuse.
Giuffre also accused Prince Andrew of abusing her in 2001. Andrew denied having any memory of meeting Giuffre in a now notorious November 2019 interview with the BBC. “I never saw them. I mean you have to understand that his house, I described it more as almost as a railway station if you know what I mean in the sense that there were people coming in and out of that house all the time,” he told Emily Maitlis at the time.
“What they were doing and why they were there I had nothing to do with. So I’m afraid I can’t make any comment on that because I really don’t know,” Prince Andrew added.
Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew in August 2021 and the pair settled the lawsuit in February 2022. According to documents obtained by Us Weekly, the case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount of money. A letter was submitted to the United States District Court in New York City, explaining that the parties plan on filing a stipulation dismissing the case within 30 days.
“Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights,” the letter reads. “Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks.”
“It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years,” the letter continued. “Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.”
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