Virginia Giuffre, whose allegations of sexual abuse helped expose the vast criminal network surrounding financier Jeffrey Epstein and implicated Britain’s Prince Andrew, has died by suicide at the age of 41, her family announced on Saturday.
Giuffre passed away at her farm in Western Australia on Friday night, according to a statement from her family. “She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking,” the statement said.
Giuffre’s bravery in publicly accusing Epstein and his close associates, including British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, brought international attention to the sprawling abuse scandal. She first settled a lawsuit against Epstein prior to his death in 2019, when he died in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
In 2015, Giuffre filed a defamation lawsuit against Maxwell, which was later settled. Her claims also deeply shook the British royal family, alleging that Epstein had “lent” her to Prince Andrew for sexual encounters while she was still a teenager. Prince Andrew ultimately settled Giuffre’s lawsuit for an undisclosed sum, resulting in his removal from royal duties and the loss of his honorific titles.
Giuffre had spent much of her adult life advocating for survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking, using her experience to bring awareness to the issue globally. Her death has sparked an outpouring of grief from advocates and survivors’ groups around the world.
Authorities in Western Australia have not released further details regarding her death. Her family has requested privacy during this difficult time.
