Virginia Giuffre, Epstein Accuser Who Took on Prince Andrew, Dies at 41
Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain’s Prince Andrew and other powerful men of sexually abusing her as a teenager trafficked by financier Jeffrey Epstein, has died at 41. Her publicist confirmed she died by suicide on Friday, April 25, at her farm in Western Australia.
“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and trafficking. She was a light for so many survivors,” her family said in a statement. “Despite all she endured, she shone so brightly. We will miss her more than words can express.” Publicist Dini von Mueffling described her as “deeply loving, wise, and funny.”
“She adored her children and animals. She always asked about me before herself,” von Mueffling added. “I will miss her beyond words. Representing her was the honor of a lifetime.”
Born in the U.S. but living in Australia for many years, Giuffre became a vocal advocate for survivors of sex trafficking after playing a key role in the downfall of Epstein, the wealthy New York financier. Epstein died by suicide in jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving dozens of underage girls—charges that followed a long history of allegations dating back to 2005.
Giuffre stepped forward after Epstein’s controversial 2008 plea deal, which saw him serve just 13 months in a Florida jail on state charges of soliciting prostitution, avoiding federal prosecution altogether.
In later lawsuits, Giuffre said she was working as a spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago in 2000 when she was recruited by Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell. What began as a job giving massages, she said, became a nightmare: she was trafficked and forced into sex with Epstein and his associates, including Prince Andrew, while she was still a teenager.
The accused men denied her claims and questioned her credibility, though Giuffre admitted to some inconsistencies in her timeline. However, much of her story was supported by documentation, witness accounts, and a widely publicized photo showing Prince Andrew with his arm around her waist at Maxwell’s London home. Giuffre said she was sexually abused by the prince in London, New York, and the U.S. Virgin Islands between the ages of 17 and 18.
“Ghislaine said, ‘I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein,’” Giuffre told NBC’s Dateline in a 2019 interview.
Prince Andrew denied ever meeting her, claiming he couldn’t sweat and thus couldn’t have danced with her as she alleged—an excuse that backfired after a disastrous BBC interview in 2019. Shortly after, he stepped down from royal duties and, in 2022, settled a civil lawsuit with Giuffre for an undisclosed amount, also donating to her nonprofit. A court filing noted that Andrew acknowledged Epstein was a trafficker and that Giuffre was an established victim.
Giuffre also filed multiple lawsuits against Epstein’s associates and settled several of them. In one case, she withdrew claims against a prominent U.S. attorney, saying she may have mistaken his identity.
Epstein’s death ended efforts to prosecute him, but Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on federal sex trafficking charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Though Giuffre’s specific claims weren’t part of that case, she later told the court Maxwell had “opened the door to hell.”
Born Virginia Roberts, Giuffre said she was first sexually abused in grade school by a man her family knew. She later ran away and suffered more abuse before crossing paths with Epstein. In 2002, while attending a massage course in Thailand funded by Epstein, she met her future husband. They married, moved to Australia, and raised a family.
In 2015, Giuffre founded SOAR, an organization advocating for sex trafficking survivors.
Last month, her publicist said Giuffre had been hospitalized after a serious accident. While details were scarce, a now-deleted Instagram post suggested she had been hit by a school bus and was in critical condition.
On Friday, Giuffre’s attorney Sigrid McCawley paid tribute: “Her courage pushed me to fight harder. Her strength was awe-inspiring. The world lost an extraordinary soul today. Rest in peace, my sweet angel.”
