Virginia Giuffre, a leading voice among the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes who also accused Britain’s Prince Andrew of abuse, has died by suicide, her family announced. She was 41 years old.
“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” her family said in a statement.
Authorities confirmed that emergency responders found Giuffre unresponsive at her home near Perth, Western Australia, on Friday night. Despite efforts to revive her, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police stated that her death is not being treated as suspicious.
“Virginia lost her life to suicide after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking,” the family added. “She was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking, a light who lifted so many survivors. In the end, the toll of abuse was so heavy it became unbearable.”
A mother of three, Giuffre became one of the most prominent accusers of Jeffrey Epstein, alleging in 2019 that he trafficked her and forced her to have sex with powerful men, including Prince Andrew, when she was just 17. She also said Prince Andrew knew she was underage in the United States at the time. The prince has consistently denied her allegations.
Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors and conspiracy, to which he pleaded not guilty. He died by suicide in jail a month later. Epstein had previously pleaded guilty in 2008 to state prostitution charges involving a minor and served 13 months in a controversial plea deal.
Court documents unsealed in 2022 revealed that Epstein had paid Giuffre $500,000 in a 2009 settlement, without admitting any liability.
Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was arrested in 2020 and later convicted of federal charges related to Epstein’s trafficking operation. In 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Giuffre was not among the four women who testified during Maxwell’s trial.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or mental health challenges, help is available. In the U.S., call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For resources worldwide, visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention or Befrienders Worldwide.
