Giuffre was one of the most outspoken victims of the disgraced U.S. financier Epstein, alleging she had been groomed and s**ually abused by him and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, beginning in her teenage years.
In 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit against Prince Andrew in the federal court in New York, alleging he s**ually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17. Prince Andrew has repeatedly and strongly denied the accusations.
The Duke of York defended himself in a 2019 interview with the BBC, stating: “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever. It just never happened.”
Following backlash from the interview, Prince Andrew announced that he would be stepping back from public duties.
In 2022, it was announced that Giuffre and the duke had reached an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum.
Now, Giuffre’s family has confirmed news of the 41-year-old’s passing in a statement.
Warning: the following contains a discussion of s**cide.
The statement, issued Saturday, disclosed that Giuffre, who was born in the U.S., took her own life at her farm in Western Australia, where she had lived for several years.
“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia. She lost her life to s**cide, after being a lifelong victim of s**ual abuse and s** trafficking,” it read, via the guardian
“In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight.”
Giuffre’s family described her as a ‘fierce warrior’ against s**ual abuse and s** trafficking, and a ‘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 statement continued.
Giuffre’s lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, said she was ‘much more than a client.’
“She was a dear friend and an incredible champion for other victims. Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring,” McCawley said.
“The world has lost an amazing human being today. Rest in peace, my sweet angel.”
Western Australia police did not publicly confirm Giuffre’s death, but said emergency services responded to reports that a 41-year-old woman was unresponsive at her home at about 9:50 p.m. on Friday.
The woman was given emergency first aid, but was pronounced dead, they confirmed.
The death will be investigated, but it is not considered suspicious.
Earlier this month, Giuffre posted on instagramto say she had been seriously injured in a car accident, which her family later said she had not intended to make public.
In the post, she claimed she had just days left to live
WA police later confirmd a 41-year-old woman was in a car that collided with a bus on March 24, however, there were no reported injuries. It’s believed Giuffre presented to a Perth emergency hospital on April 1.
